Latest Offenders Bridgend

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A paedophile sexually assaulted a young girl while giving her a massage and was found with indecent images of children on his phone when arrested. He later went on to blame a friend for the images, claiming they were already on the phone when he bought it off him.

Mark Lewis, 44, of Bridgend, took advantage of his victim while rubbing her back before taking her underwear off and touching her on the vagina and buttocks. Giving evidence at a trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, the victim said: "When your hand is there for five to 10 minutes it can't be a mistake."

The defendant was arrested in 2021 and his phone was seized by police. Examination of the device resulted in the discovery of indecent images of children, categorised as category A, B and C. He went onto to blame three people for the images before blaming a friend who had sold him the phone.

He was later found guilty of sexual activity with a child and three counts of possessing indecent images. A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Lewis maintains his innocence.

Defence barrister Marian Lewis said there was "little" she could say in mitigation. She said the assault was an "isolated incident" and it was not a penetrative offence. She said her client had lived a "blameless life" and had "served his country" in the Armed Forces but had recently suffered with mental health difficulties, depression and PTSD.

Sentencing Lewis, of St David's Close, Brackla, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said he had assaulted the victim in "the most cruel way". He added: "When you gave evidence about (indecent images) you denied all responsibility but blamed another man who had shown you kindness by allowing you to stay at his home following your arrest. He supplied you the phone but was not responsible for the content on it.

"You're entitled to no credit and maintain your innocence.... You have not accepted any responsibility for your actions and have shown no remorse whatsoever."

Lewis was sentenced to a total of 18 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.

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School IT teacher, 40, is jailed for six years after he hacked into his pupils' mobile phones to steal naked selfies from teenage girls and store them on his computer

A school IT teacher was jailed for six years today after hacking his pupils' phones to steal naked selfies of teenage girls and storing them on his computer.

High school technology expert Richard Edmunds, 40, told pupils he could fix their broken devices but took their private nude picture when he took their phones home.

Edmunds targeted a string of girls while working at a high school in Cardiff to gain iCloud passwords to download more than 1,700 images onto his home computer.

A court heard he also groomed school girls telling them they could make money by sending him naked selfies that would be published on modelling websites.

He was arrested after one former pupil made an anonymous call to Childline and officers searched his home.

Prosecutor John Ryan said: 'He would assist them with technology problems with computers or mobile phones. He would take them home, download their devices searching for indecent images of these girls and storing them on his computer.

'Others were incited to send pictures of themselves to him and indecent images were later found.'

Mr Ryan said Edmunds repeatedly asked one sixth form student to send him naked pictures that they could sell online.

Newport Crown Court heard Edmunds would continue to ask the girl for pictures even when he knew she was suffering from depression and feeling suicidal.

Mr Ryan said: 'He made out that she owed him something for the emotional support he had given her and he persisted to ask for images saying he needed photos of her to get money.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55187406.amp