Latest Offenders Cardiff

Description

A man has been jailed for 24 years for sexual offences dating back to the 1970s. 

Peter David Long, 66, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2024, to six counts of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 years and 13 counts of indecent assault. The 19 offences were against four girls who were all aged between seven and 14 at the time of the offending.

On Friday, October 25, Long was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to 24 years' imprisonment with one year on licence, a life-time restraining order for all complainants.

Long was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

Andrew Burke, from Cardiff, has been jailed for rape and other sexual offences.

The 60-year-old was found guilty of rape, violence against a child, indecent assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, taking an indecent photo of a child, and assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

Burke was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, October 3, to 15 years in prison. He is also subject to a 30-year restraining order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Description

A "controlling, manipulative and physically abusive" man subjected a woman to a "sexual mauling" after luring her to a secluded area. The victim told a court the incident had left her feeling "helpless" and on medication.

Grant Young, 33, was convicted of sexual assault following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. During the incident, he pinned down his victim and attempted to kiss and hug her.

A sentencing hearing on Tuesday heard the defendant was heavily intoxicated at the time of the sexual assault, and had thrown a bottle of Desperados he had been drinking. Sentencing, Judge Simon Mills Esq said: "The incident concluded with you mauling her in a sexual way. That part of the incident was short lived but you manipulated her into being in your company... She was scared of you."

In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Ieuan Bennett, the victim said: "My anxiety is still through the roof... I struggle with sleeping and sweat through the night which is linked to my PTSD. I constantly feel I have to fight when I am sleeping. I get scared in the dark.

"I feel tense and my back will spasm and I won't be able to move, I feel helpless. I am on medication because I suffer tremors and panic attacks. I still feel the effect of the abuse from him to this day."

Young, of HMP Cardiff, has 32 previous convictions of offences related violence and drugs. He was reprimanded by Judge Mills after shaking his head in the dock, and was told: "You need to stop living for yourself and listen to what somebody else has to say about you." In mitigation, Peter Donnison said his client had not committed "the most serious sexual offence" and had not touched the victim's breasts or naked skin.

Concluding his sentencing remarks, Judge Mills said: "You are controlling, manipulative and physically abusive towards women.... You are a devious and thoroughly manipulative individual with a quick temper and not without a level of intelligence which can give you a faade of plausibility."

Young was sentenced to one year's imprisonment. He was made subject to a restraining order for 10 years and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A paedophile had still not told his boss about his conviction for indecent images more than two months after admitting the offences in court.

Simon Lancaster, from Cardiff, was told by a judge that "anybody with any sense whatsoever" would come clean before police turn up at his workplace.

The 44-year-old pleaded guilty on June 11 to two charges of possessing indecent photographs. None of the images were in category A — the most serious type — but one was in category B and three were in category C. Lancaster, of Hillrise in Pentwyn, committed the offences between January 2019 and November 2022.

Wearing a smart suit, Lancaster appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court to be sentenced on Wednesday. District Judge Stephen Harmes asked when he planned to tell his employer about his offences, to which Lancaster said: "When it's necessary." The judge replied: "Okay. Well it will be necessary when police knock on the door to put software in your computer in work because there's a sexual harm prevention order. So anybody with any sense whatsoever would get ahead of that and tell their employer. You don't want police turning up to your workplace and saying you're a sex offender. They could have clients there."

The court heard that Lancaster has no previous convictions and works in Treforest. After reading the probation service's pre-sentence report Judge Harmes said: "I agree with the recommendation of the report. I'm not going to send you to prison. I think there are things in the report I'm concerned about, so I'm going to impose 25 days of rehabilitation activity and a 24-month community order."

The judge added that it would be "absolutely right" for Lancaster to do unpaid work, but he feared this would disrupt his rehabilitation activity and his work, so he instead imposed a fine of £1,000. Lancaster was also ordered to pay a £114 victim services surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs at a rate of £200 per month. "You will have to have your employer put some software on any computer in work," said Judge Harmes. "I can't leave that door ajar a little bit because the temptation will be there.

"It seems you have been let off too easily. What you have done is very serious and what you cannot do now is do it again. You will not have this sort of leniency and be able to rebuild your life and continue in work twice. If it happens again you will be going to prison. Do you understand?" Lancaster nodded and said he did.

Lancaster's devices which were seized by police will be destroyed. He will be subject to police notification requirements for five years.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE said to a 15-year-old schoolgirl that he was going to have sex with her and told her to meet him near a Morrisons supermarket.

Osman Mohamed lied to his victim he was the same age as her before sexually assaulting her by touching her bottom after he had been drinking.

The 36-year-old defendant went up to the girl, a stranger, in the Bargoed area of Caerphilly after he had taken a train there from Cardiff.

Christopher Evans, prosecuting, said the victim no longer feels safe in the area where she lives.

Mohamed was found guilty by a jury following a trial of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault.

He had denied the offences which took place on the summer bank holiday of 2021 on Monday, August 30.

Mohamed, of Taff Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff had a previous conviction for drink driving.

Harry Baker representing the defendant asked for the inevitable prison sentence “to be kept as short as possible”.

Sentencing Mohamed at Cardiff Crown Court, the judge, Recorder Caroline Rees KC told him: “You drank alcohol and the victim assessed you to be drunk.

“You approached the victim who was just 15 who was with her friend and you hugged her.

“You touched her to the area of her bottom over her clothing.

“She told you she was only 15, you said you were 15, although she very quickly assessed that you were talking rubbish and that you were obviously older.

“The police were called a short time later and you were detained in Bargoed.”

Recorder Rees added: “You continue to deny your responsibility for the offences and that remains your position today.

“It follows that you demonstrate no insight or remorse for the behaviour of which the jury were sure you were guilty of.”

Mohamed, who followed proceedings with the help of an Arabic translator, was jailed for 15 months.

He will serve half of that time in custody and any time spent in custody will count towards his sentence.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years although he was told he faces the prospect of being deported from the UK.

Description

A convicted sex offender made a bomb threat to the police after he breached an order preventing him from having unmonitored access to the internet. He told a 999 operative: "If I light this I don't have to go to court and I don't have to go to prison."

Kynon Crisp, 18, of Cardiff, made a 999 call on June 16 and told the operator a friend had made a "canister bomb" which he was going to ignite. The defendant said: "My mate is good at explosives and he's made me a canister bomb and I am tempted to light this. He told me to put it under the gas line which will make the gas explode, kill me, and blow up the flat."

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard Crisp told the operator the bomb would "go bang" when heated and said: "If I light this I don't have to go to court and I don't have to go to prison."

Police attended the defendant's home in Tudor Street, Riverside, where they found a block of deodorant cans tied to each other and covered in wax. Crisp was arrested and taken into police custody.

Prosecutor Alice Sykes said the defendant was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years after he was convicted of sexual assault and voyeurism. Prior to the bomb hoax incident Crisp had attended Cardiff Bay police station as part of his conditions but was found to have downloaded a VPN on a new phone in order to mask his IP address and watch pornography.

Crisp later pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client was a "complex individual" with learning difficulties and had the understanding of a 12-year-old. She said the defendant had a difficult start in life and was placed into care at the age of nine years old.

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Crisp to a total of six months imprisonment. The defendant will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.

Description

A paedophile who sexually abused four children has been jailed for 16 years. All of his victims were under the age of 13-years-old.

Gary Hayes, 61, of Taff's Well, was found guilty of indecent and sexual assault of his victims. The offences took place over a period of 14 years from 2002.

Hayes, of Garth Street, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, July 19. He was subjected to sex offender notification requirements for life, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and indefinite restraining orders.

Description

A "highly dangerous paedophile" preyed on vulnerable young girls and subjected them to years of sickening sexual abuse, a court has heard.

Shaun Canavan assaulted his primary school-age victims on multiple occasions in a variety of locations including in a public swimming pool.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the 55-year-old's offending has had a devastating impact on his now victims, affecting all aspects of their lives. A judge told Canavan he had prioritised his own sexual urges over "any sense of humanity or decency". The defendant was handed an extended sentence as a dangerous offender which he will serve after the current extended sentence he is serving for the sexual abuse of another young girl.

Sarah Isles, prosecuting, said the offending before the court involved two young girls and was carried out over a period of five years. Canavan sexually assaulted his victims multiple times and in a variety of locations in Caerphilly County including in a public swimming pool, in the car park of a workingmen's club, in a shed, in his vehicle and at a building site during the construction of a housing estate.

In statements read to the court the victims described the devastating impact their childhood abuse has had on their lives. One said the defendant took away her innocence and her happiness and filled her life with "fear, shame and disgust". She said she has been left wondering what kind of woman she would be today if she had not encountered Canavan as a child and not been used by him for his own "monstrous sexual gratification". The second victim described how the abuse perpetrated by the defendant had "impacted every aspect of my life" and caused severe post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and led to alcohol and drug misuse and suicide attempts.

Shaun Canavan, formerly of Llandaff Road, Cardiff, had previously pleaded guilty to 34 counts of indecent assault of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Two of the counts are what is known as "specimen counts" and represent some 24 separate assaults carried out on one of the victims over the course of a year. The defendant has 40 previous convictions for 121 offences including matters of violence and sexual offending against a child. In 2016 the former nightclub bouncer and digger driver was given an extended 20-year sentence as a dangerous offender after being convicted at trial of sexually abusing a girl under 13. On that occasion he was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order designed to control his access to children, and was put on the sex offenders register for life. The offences currently before the court pre-date the offences for which the defendant was sentenced to 2016 but were only reported to police after his conviction.

Joshua Scouller, for Canavan, said the defendant's main mitigation was his entered guilty pleas at the very earliest opportunity. He said his client had reflected on his behaviour and was remorseful.

Judge Paul Hobson told Canavan the psychological impact of his offending has been "nothing short of devastating" for his victims and had impacted every aspect of their lives, and he described the defendant as "a serial sexual abuser of children". He said it was clear Canavan had been harbouring and acting upon "warped thinking" about young girls for many years, and he told him: "In my judgement you are, you remain, a highly dangerous paedophile."

The judge said in coming to his sentence he had to be mindful of the maximum sentences which applied to the offences at the time of their commission, to the fact the defendant was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for similar offending, and to the principle of totality. Canavan was made the subject of a 10-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender comprising seven years in custody followed by a three-year licence period. The new sentence will run consecutively with the 20-year extended sentence Canavan is currently serving, a sentence comprised of 15 years in custody followed by a five year licence period.

Defendants on extended sentences can apply for release after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of their sentence but it is for the Parole Board to determine if they are safe to be release and if so, on what conditions. The combined effect of the new and existing sentences means Canavan is effectively serving a 30-year extended sentence comprising 22 years in custody followed by eight years on licence. The defendant will be able to apply for release in late 2030 or early 2031 but may be required to serve the full term meaning he could be kept inside until 2038.

After passing sentence judge Hobson said the bravery of the victims in coming forward and reporting the abuse should be mentioned, and he said he was aware of the great cost to their wellbeing in doing so. He said he hoped the sentencing exercise would at least provide a sense of a chapter in their lives closing and a new chapter opening.

The judge said he was also duty bound to make a number of observations about the conduct of the case and its progress through the court system. He said the delay in the case coming to court was "inexcusable" and said the presentation of the prosecution case had been "shambolic". He said the case had been committed to crown court for sentencing after the defendant pleaded guilty at magistrates court and he said he was concerned at the "false economy" in terms of the resources the Crown Prosecution Service had put into preparing the committal.

Description

A man has been jailed for 15 years for raping a homeless woman while he was on a night out and filming the attack.

Liam Stimpson, 24, from Llanrumney, Cardiff, was convicted of two counts of rape and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent on Thursday.

The attack on the 40-year-old, which Stimpson filmed on his phone, happened on 27 December last year in Cardiff city centre.

During sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said the attack was “gratuitous, repeated and sustained violence against a woman in no position to defend”.

“You completely humiliated her – you took the last ounce of dignity from her,” Judge Jenkins told Stimpson, describing the attack as “bordering on sadistic”.

In a statement read out on her behalf, the victim said it had “changed my whole opinion of men”.

“I want this male to end up in prison for what he has done. I worry about him doing this to another female,” she said.

“I’m unable to socialise with others at the moment. I just want to be alone, to block out what has happened to me.”

Rhianydd Jones from the Crown Prosecution Service said the case "highlights the extreme violence and disregard for human dignity exhibited by the defendant", thanking the jury for their “careful consideration”, as well as the victim for coming forward.

A jury had already found Stimpson guilty of a separate charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

'Shocking, heinous' attack

Det Insp Katherine Barry, from South Wales Police, said the footage of the rape was the "most shocking, heinous" she had seen in her 21-year career.

"The fact that the jury was exposed to it concerns me, because I have never seen anything like it," she said.

"It was sadistic, it was prolonged, this lady was humiliated, and it will stay with me for a very long time."

Det Insp Barry said Stimpson’s defence, that the victim had suggested filming as part of role play, was “ludicrous”.

"Any person with a shred of humanity watching it would see if for exactly what it was, which was a depraved, brutal attack, on a lone vulnerable female," she said.

She added that incidents like this in the city centre were "exceptionally rare" and she hoped the sentence would encourage victims of sexual offences to speak to the police.

Stimpson denied the charges, claiming the woman suggested the filming as part of role play after he paid her for oral sex.

Stimpson’s victim was punched and kicked during the attack under a bridge near Cardiff Central railway station in the early hours of the morning.

She begged her attacker to stop as she was stripped naked, beaten and raped twice.

Videos taken from Stimpson's mobile phone showed the woman with a severely swollen and bleeding face, her right eye completely closed.

She lifted her hands to her attacker and said: "Don't beat me up baby, don't beat me please. I've got kids."

Stimpson could be heard replying: "I'll tell you what to do. I'm the boss."

He then demanded she remove her coat, despite the cold and wet conditions.

She eventually escaped and ran naked into a nearby pub, telling early morning cleaning staff “I’ve been raped”.

The videos were discovered by police on the defendant's mobile phone.

He refused to provide the PIN, but officers guessed it was his date of birth.

Stimpson also admitted possession of cannabis.

Many of the jurors were in tears as they watched the footage.

Ruth Smith defending, said her client had been diagnosed with disabilities of a neurodiverse nature.

A psychiatric report had confirmed a longstanding diagnosis of ADHD, and he was more recently diagnosed with autism.

Ms Smith said her client found custody very difficult, adding he had been picked on and bullied in Parc Prison, Bridgend.

The court was also told his girlfriend is pregnant with his child.

As he was sentenced, Stimpson cried and rocked in the dock.

He refused to leave and had to be carried out by staff.

Description

A man who raped a woman and then went on to sexually abuse a young girl has been jailed for 12 years and six months. The rape victim said no court sentence could heal the hurt she had suffered.

In a statement read to Cardiff Crown Court the woman raped by 40-year-old Anthony Lewis said he had preyed on her during a vulnerable time in her life and that after going through what she did she is determined to help others "to face their abusers and find a voice".

Lewis, of Rectory Road, Barry, was convicted at trial of one count of rape of an adult, six counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 touching the girl's breasts and genitals and one count of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity by asking her to touch his penis. He has one previous conviction for motoring matters.

In a statement read to the court the victim of the rape said it was hard to put into words the damage Lewis had done to her. She said the defendant had left her fearful of going shopping or even going for a walk. Although she thanked those who helped bring about the conviction she said no court sentence could heal the hurt she had suffered.

Byron Broadstock, for Lewis, said the defendant was struggling to come to terms with the verdicts of the jury. Recorder Carl Harrison sentenced Lewis to 12 years and six months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order indefinitely.

Description

A paedophile attempted to rape a girl when she was just three years old. He then went on to rape her when she was older.

Erkan Karadogan, 52, of Cardiff, also sexually abused his victim before later sexually assaulting another young girl and an elderly lady. At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court the defendant was described by Judge Simon Mills as a "frightening sexual predator" and a "selfish abusive bully".

Karadogan, of Poplar Road, Fairwater, was found guilty of rape, four counts of attempted rape, two counts of indecency with a child, three counts of indecent assault, three counts of inciting sexual activity, and two counts of sexual assault. The court heard he was of previous good character except one minor conviction of a dissimilar nature.

n victim personal statements read to the court the first victim said: "I found it hard to figure out if certain parts of my personality is as a result of what happened to me. I don't know as I didn't know any difference when the abuse started to happen. Since the trial for the first time I felt anger and cannot focus. It's affected family and friendships. When people talk to me I zone out mid-conversations.

"I am so tired all the time and burn out, switch off, and struggle to sleep. I have been like this for a year and I am on medication to help me with this. In the lead up to the trial I had nightmares about [the defendant] – him chasing me, half-dressed, and I can't call out for someone. I recall struggling at school because I couldn't focus. I struggle to focus because of the trauma I was going through."

She added: "There was a time through my childhood I struggled with suicidal tendencies and looking at photographs of my self would make me cry. I have ongoing issues in terms of extreme stress. I had a number of bad romantic relationships where they have used me and I let it happen through being in so much trauma as a child. If I am honest I never trust anyone and wait for something to go wrong. In terms of [the defendant] I have changed from feeling fear to anger... I need this for closure and justice for what happened to me."

The second victim said: "I would say what happened to me massively affected me and my mental health... As I got older I remember feeling scared and nervous ... When the investigation was going on when receiving any form of update it would bring it all back up to me and stop me wanting to be intimate with my partner. I have anxiety and depression and can't go a day without taking some form of medication. Waiting for the trial was stressful and affected my mental health. I found speaking out about what happened difficult and this process brought it all back."

In mitigation Clare Wilks said her client is a Turkish man whose family live in Turkey so he would not have the same benefit of family visits as other inmates. He also has a partner who resides in Turkey.

Sentencing, Judge Mills told the defendant he "hasn't shown a single shred of remorse". He sentenced Karadogan to a total of 24 years imprisonment of which he will serve two-thirds in custody. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

Description

A teacher who repeatedly had sex with a pupil has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Ieuan Bartlett, 29, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, admitted 12 counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

Having originally denied the charges, he changed his pleas after a jury failed to reach a verdict, which would have left him facing a retrial.

Judge Lucy Crowther told Bartlett he had manipulated and “specifically targeted a particularly vulnerable child”.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Bartlett pressured the girl into sending him indecent pictures of herself when she did not want to.

The girl told the court that she “thought it would be love and we would be together”, but now “I realised how much he controlled and belittled me”.

The court heard how the girl originally turned to Bartlett for support, but that over several months he groomed her, gaining her trust and confidence.

During later meetings Bartlett talked to the girl about sex, pressuring her into sexual activity with him.

The judge said she “ended up performing sex acts on you, which was precisely what you had paved the way for”, adding “you’d be angry if she said no”.

Subsequently, Bartlett had sex with the girl without a condom. The court heard they had sex on a number of occasions, including one time at the girl’s home when her parents were away.

Bartlett used a side entrance to the house to avoid being seen by the doorbell camera.

He told her not to tell anyone about what was happening because he said she could be sent to prison. He also lied about aspects of his personal life in order to win her trust.

His actions were discovered when one of the girl's friends noticed his messages on her phone. She told her mother, resulting in the police being called.

In a personal impact statement the girl told the court that her confidence had been knocked and that she struggled because she “believed all men were like Ieuan”.

“I’ve always had issues with my mental health and now it’s worse. I struggle to trust people and believe what they say,” she said.

Bartlett was jailed for a total of 13 offences, including one count of possession of indecent images of a 16-year-old.

He was ordered to be on the sex offender register for life and given a restraining order to prevent him from contacting the girl.

Description

A convicted paedophile sexually assaulted a young boy despite being barred from having contact with children. Following his arrest, he told his supervising officer "Sorry, this is the only one".

Robert Evans, 58, of Cardiff, carried out horrendous sexual acts against his victim, which started when he was just eight years old. The victim described his memories of the abuse being "burned onto his mind".

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Evans was subject to a lifelong sex offender notification requirements, after he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in 1998. He was convicted of buggery of a boy under 16, gross indecency, rape of a boy under 16, and indecent assault of a boy under 16. These offences were carried out against six victims.

Despite being barred from having contact with children under 18 years old, Evans came into contact with his victim and sexually abused him on a number of occasions. The abuse came to light after the victim told his mother, and was interviewed by police.

The victim told police Evans had asked him to perform a sex act on him. He said he was scared and did as the defendant instructed. He said Evans touched him and tried to rape him. He also described being orally raped by the defendant. A few weeks after that, Evans showed the victim pornography and again sexually assaulted him.

At the time of the offences, the victim said he had not received sex education, and it was only later he realised what Evans did to him was wrong. Describing the impact the abuse had on him, the victim described it as being "burned on his mind". He added: "I do not like being touched and became violent when being touched by partners growing up. It has deprived me of getting to know people or have relationships. It has created a barrier, has ruined friendships and relationships. I want to put it to the back of my mind and bury it."

Evans was arrested and upon being taken to custody, he saw his sex offender supervising officer. He said to the officer: "Sorry, this is the only one." The defendant told the officer he thought he could "trust himself" and would "go guilty". He added: "I knew this was coming, I have been waiting for this day for a long time now."

The defendant went on to make further admissions in his police interview, and spoke about incidents which the victim had not previously mentioned but denied being a "violent person". He admitted performing oral sex upon the victim and "simulated sex" with him, but denied other offences. Evans admitted masturbating when he showed pornography to the victim and said there were also a number of incidents when he sexually assaulted the victim by touching. The defendant said: "I can't give you an exact figure, I can't remember."

Evans, of Mill Road, Ely, later pleaded guilty to rape of a child, three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, engaging in sexual activity in front of a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and breach of sex offenders' notification requirements.

In mitigation, Dan Jones said his client had not sought to minimise his offences, and has expressed cooperation to work with the probation service. He said the defendant had expressed remorse and apologised. Evans has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and high blood pressure, and Mr Jones argued the defendant could be dealt with by a determinate prison sentence, rather than an extended sentence on account of dangerousness.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson said: "You groomed this young boy. You were to admit you were coaxing (the victim) but that is the wrong word. What you were doing in fact was sexually abusing him and exploiting him. You were the adult and all he did or was prepared to do was due to your malign influence on him... Your sexual interest in male children is a long term interest and has continued well into your middle age. Although you admitted your (previous) offending, that did not stop you from returning to abusing a young child."

Evans was sentenced to 12 years and eight months imprisonment, with an extended licence period of eight years. He will serve two thirds of the sentence before he will be eligible for parole. The defendant was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Description

A serial paedophile who was previously found in possession of a bottle of chloroform and roll of tape in his bag breached a court order after he was seen near a children's park. He was caught by a probation officer who had dealt with him on many occasions.

Christian John, 48, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) banning him from being within 50 metres of a children's park. He was previously jailed for child sex offences, and was described as a "predator" by a judge.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday heard a senior probation officer was walking near Roath Park recreation fields in Cardiff last year. As she was walking along Ninian Road, the officer became aware of two men shouting and recognised a man sitting on a bench as the defendant.

Prosecutor Megan Jones said the officer had dealings with John, also known as John Davies, over many years and was aware of the SHPO he was subject to. She also saw the defendant was drinking alcohol, which had been a factor in his previous offences. She reported the matter to the police and John was arrested.

The defendant, of Mackintosh Place, Roath, later pleaded guilty to breach of a SHPO. The court heard he has 31 previous convictions for 47 offences, including 13 previous breaches of sexual offence orders.

• February 1996
  John is given a three-year probation order for indecently assaulting a boy.
• July 1996
  He breaches that order and is sent to a young offender institution for 18 months.
• February 1998
  The defendant is jailed for 21 months for grabbing a child, pulling him towards a wooded area and telling him: I want to shag you.
• April 2004
  John is jailed for 30 months for breaching a sexual offender order after being caught with a bottle of chloroform, syringe, roll of sticky tape, 10in knife, and camera in his bag.
• October 2006
  He is given a 12-month community order for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by going within 15m of a school.
• September 2007
  The defendant is jailed for 12 months for breaching the SHPO four times by being in a play area and having alcohol.
• May 2008
  John is jailed for three months for another breach and possessing an offensive weapon.
• August 2008
  He is given a community order for breaching a restraining order.
• October 2008
  The defendant is jailed for 22 months for a further breach, this time being drunk and watching children in a park.
• January 2011
  John approaches a young child and whispers in his ear in a public place. He is caught with a knife and a camera.
• May 2011
  He is jailed for 75 days for four counts of making indecent images of children.
• March 2012
  He is jailed for two years for sexual assault after grabbing a boys wrist and trying to kiss him.
• September 2015
  He is jailed for two years for approaching an eight-year-old boy in the Mill Road park in Ely and saying: You come with me now.
  Judge Eleri Rees imposes a new order preventing him from going within 50m of any public recreational area in Cardiff as defined by a list of more than 300 areas.
• July 2017
  He is jailed for six months for breaching the SHPO in Roath Park.
• February 2018
  The order is amended to allow him nearer specific parks to help the Probation Service to find him accommodation.
• June 2018
  He is jailed for two years for loitering in Roath Park on a bike.
• August 2019
  John is sentenced to 16 months imprisonment after loitering at park in Tonyrefail, where children were playing rugby sevens

Description

A paedophile breached a court order after downloading and using Snapchat which he used to speak to a 15-year-old girl. He later claimed he didn't know using the social media app was a breach of his conditions.

Kyle Smith, 31, of Cardiff, was previously sentenced to four years imprisonment after being convicted of seven acts of causing a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity. He coerced his victim into sending him photos and threatened to show the pictures to her family if she did not agree to meet him.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard the defendant had committed a number of breaches by failing to comply with notification requirements. There were further breaches in relation to calls and messages to underage children.

Prosecutor James Evans said Smith was made subject to conditions which prevented him from using apps or software which did not retain history. On October 26 last year, a report was made to police by a 15-year-old girl who said the defendant had communicated with her on Snapchat.

Police attended Smith's home and arrested him, and seized two mobile phones and a tablet. He told officers he had been using Snapchat since 2021 and said he did not know it was a breach to use it. Mr Evans said this was not accepted by the prosecution.

Smith, of Hansen Street, Butetown, later pleaded guilty to breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. As well as his previous sexual offending, the defendant has convictions for affray, assaulting police officers, harassment and burglary.

Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant sentenced Smith to a total of 20 months imprisonment. He will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.