Latest Offenders Cardiff

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.

Description

A stalker sexually assaulted a woman in a hostel by groping her breast after he had repeatedly sent sexually explicit messages to her over a number of days. He later claimed he had no memory of the assault as he had taken £50 worth of cocaine and drunk 20 pints.

Clinton Davies, 55, carried out the assault against his victim at the hostel in Cardiff when he called her into his room on the pretense that he needed her help. Once she did so, he unzipped her hoodie and groped her breast over clothing.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard the victim had told the defendant she didn't want this to happen and wanted to leave. There was a knock at the door from a concerned man, but Davies told him "Go away, I'm busy".

Fortunately, the man entered the room and the victim was able to escape. The witness described the defendant breathing heavily, the belt on his trousers was undone and there was a sealed condom packet on the table. Davies turned to the man and said "This is going to cause trouble". When he was asked what he had done, he changed the subject.

Prosecutor Harry Baker said the defendant had got hold of her number and had been incessantly contacting her for days through calls, texts and voicemails. She had told him to stop contacting her but he carried on and left crude and sexually explicit messages. On one occasion he called her 20 times in one day.

The victim said she was worried he was going to persist in contacting her. She added: "Since the incident, it has left me distressed, upset, has affected my mental health and has left me feeling suicidal... I'm scared when I hear people knocking at my door, I'm on edge and I suffer from panic attacks."

Davies, originally from South Africa, was arrested and interviewed, claiming he had not touched the victim but had little recollection of the incident because he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol. He later pleaded guilty to sexual assault and stalking. The court heard he had previous convictions for exposing himself in the USA and repeated offences of harassment. He is in breach of a suspended sentence.

In mitigation, Andrew Davies said his client had not touched the victim's naked breast, and he does not remember doing it. He said the defendant had previously done work in the community, and had carried out work in food banks.

Recorder Caroline Rees KC sentenced Davies to a total of 32 weeks imprisonment. She also made him subject to a restraining order for five years and sex offender notification requirements for seven years.

Description

A man repeatedly sexually assaulted a young child and offered her gifts of sweets if she was a "good girl", a court has heard.

Dean Imperato, who ran his own gardening and maintenance business, subjected his victim to years of abuse before the child reported the behaviour to her mother.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that the child at the centre of the abuse has gone from being a happy, confident, and outgoing little girl to someone who is anxious and self-conscious. The court heard that in April last year the child made disclosures to her mother that Imperato had touched her and the matter was reported to the police.

The youngster "broke down in tears" when officers spoke to her but the investigation later uncovered that the abuse had been going on for a prolonged period with the child saying it had happened "lots of times". The court heard there was an element of grooming to the offending with the 33-year-old defendant buying sweets for the child if she was a "good girl". The victim has lifelong legal anonymity.

In a statement from the victim's mother that was read to the court she said her daughter used to be a happy little girl but was now anxious and did not feel comfortable around boys and men. She said the day her daughter told her what had been happening "my whole world came crashing down" and she blames herself for not being able to protect her child.

Dean Imperato, of Marguerites Way, St Fagans, Cardiff, had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Clare Wilkes, for Imperato, said in her submission it was unusual for a defendant to be as open with probation officers as the defendant had been and said given her client's childhood experiences "it is very much to be regretted that he had become a perpetrator". The barrister said the defendant suffered with mental health difficulties which he "could have dealt with better", adding those difficulties were not helped by his use of cannabis. She invited the court to pass a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the offending but was not one of a length that "crushed a man who still has a future ahead of him"

Judge Shomon Khan told Imperato he "sexually abused a little girl for your own sexual gratification" and in so doing had caused "immensurable harm" to the victim and her family. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas the defendant was sentenced to six years in prison. The judge said he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Imperato will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Description

Staff at a coffee shop in Cardiff were terrorised by a stalker who made sexually inappropriate comments at their workplace and followed them after they finished their shifts. On one occasion he followed one of the victims into the staff area and tried asking for her number.

Braham Seraie, 49, was a regular customer at a Caffé Nero store in Cardiff whose victims had been warned by colleagues about his behaviour. He began specifically asking for the first victim to serve him before going on to make comments about her appearance, flirting with her, and trying to make her partner jealous when he was in the shop.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the attention paid by the defendant became more intense and he asked the victim to go to Greece with him, invited himself to drinks with her friends, and asked her what she was doing at the weekend. When he learned it was her birthday Seraie bought her jewellery and put it in her locker. He also followed her outside of work and followed her to a bus stop.

The second victim was also targeted by the defendant who made lewd comments about her and behaved inappropriately. She called him out on his behaviour and called him a "weirdo" but he responded: "I'm just trying to put a smile on your face."

He asked her to come outside the shop and asked for her number and when she went to a staff area to take a break he followed her upstairs, knocked on the staff door, and asked for her number again. Seraie then waited for her in the door of the women's toilets and asked her to go in there with him, which she refused to do. The second victim later described feeling "anxiety and stress" and both of the victims have left their jobs.

Seraie, of Hannah Street, Butetown, was arrested and later found guilty of two counts of stalking. The court heard he had he had previous convictions for sexual assault and harassment and had been made subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

The defendant refused to attend his sentencing hearing from custody and did not attend his trial. He was also unpresented so no mitigation was put forward on his behalf.

Sentencing, Recorder Alun Eynon-Evans said Seraie still denies the offences and referred to the victims as "liars" in his interview with probation. He said the defendant had said he was suffering with PTSD having claimed to have served in the army in Algeria but noted it was "questionable" if this was true. He said he would give the defendant "the benefit of the doubt".

Seraie was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to restraining orders in respect of both defendants for five years.

Description

A Deliveroo delivery driver who climbed into a woman's bed and tried to kiss her while her boyfriend was passed out in the kitchen has been jailed for two years and eight months after admitting sexual assault. 

Fuad Haddad, 31, entered a house in Cardiff in the early hours of April 11, where the victim was spending the night with her boyfriend. 

Cardiff Crown Court heard the woman had ordered food via the Deliveroo App before cancelling the order. Despite this, Haddad attended her home to collect payment - when he arrived he found the front door open and let himself in.

Haddad made his way upstairs where he attempted to kiss the woman twice and touched her with his hand on her hip and pressed his body against hers. 

The woman asked Haddad to leave, and he apologised repeatedly but wouldn't leave until he was forcibly walked out of the house and pushed out the door.

Prosecutor Byron Broadstock said the woman was disorientated when he arrived and when she asked who he was Haddad said he had been with her boyfriend who was 'coming up in a minute'.

The police were called and Mr Broadstock said the defendant was later seen on CCTV footage approaching the address numerous times before leaving at 5.12am. 

Haddad, of South Luton Place, Adamsdown, was arrested on April 13 and admitted attending the address but he denied any sexual offence. 

He later pleaded guilty to sexual assault and trespassing on premises with intention of causing sexual offence. 

Haddad was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely. 

The court heard he had previous convictions for drug offences and an offence of battery. 

In a personal statement, the victim said her wellbeing had been 'detrimentally affected' by the incident. She added: 'I was sexually assaulted in a place I thought I was safe. 

'I have changed my habits, demeanour and appearance to try and process and cope with what happened. 

'I live in shared accommodation and should be able to feel safe in my house. I hope to go back to the woman I was before this day. 

'I am so anxious when I am alone or in my room. Now I check the door is locked and I also do this if I stay over someone else's house or when going on trips.'

She added: 'I kept thinking "Why does a delivery driver think he could walk in, see my partner passed out in the kitchen, walk upstairs, get into bed with me and sexually assault me".'

In mitigation, Hannah Williams said her client had been working as a Deliveroo driver for some time without any incidents and had 'misread the signals'. 

She said he fully accepts he should not have gone into the house, and described the offence as 'entirely out of character' and 'shocking' to his family members and members of his community. 

The barrister also said Haddad was a part time carer for his uncle.

Sentencing, Judge Wayne Beard said: 'The impact on the complainant is set out in her personal statement and shows the significance of this offence to her. 

'She is profoundly affected by your actions which have changed her demeanour, appearance and behaviour with others and at home. 

'The effects cannot be underestimated, you have changed this young woman's life completely by your offending. 

'She was clearly asleep and you took advantage of a person who was completely vulnerable at that point in time.'

Description

A teenager raped a woman in a bed after attacking her while he thought she was asleep. The victim said she is "not the same person" as she was before being raped.

Harvey Vincent had just turned 18-years-old when he assaulted the victim, who had previously told him no sexual activity between them would take place. Despite this, he forced himself upon the victim when he thought she was asleep.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard the victim, who has lifelong anonymity, was awake through the rape, but was frozen with fear. He first sexually assaulted her before forcibly having sex with her.

The victim hoped her lack of response would dissuade Vincent, but he carried on without regard for her welfare. The defendant was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time of the attack.

After a complaint was made to the police, Vincent, of North Road, Porth, denied the offences but he was found guilty by a jury of rape and sexual assault by penetration, following a trial. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement, the victim said: "Where do I start? Harvey raped me when I was just 18-years-old. I was just leaving school... For him to do this to me hurts more than the act itself. He raped my mind and my body and I will never be able to trust someone like that again. I have gained strength from this and understood myself a lot more but I have changed, I am not the same person I was.

"Everything I've gone through, he needs to understand the damage he's done, I never feel clean and my skin crawls. When I speak or think about this I need to shower. I don't like sex anymore... My body doesn't feel like my body." The victim said she suffered night terrors, where she would wake up screaming and shouting the defendant's name.

She added: "I used to be super active and sporty but I can't do contact sports anymore, I don't like being touched. Going through the trial was horrendous, the system does not work for victims, it re-victimises and punishes us.... I feel sorry for you (Vincent), I feel sorry for you friends and family.... This has changed my entire life.

"I realise there is life after rape, it's up to me to make it work. I will never feel responsible for this and will make a successful life for myself despite what he did to me. I will walk with my head held high, he will not dictate the rest of my life."

In mitigation, defence barrister Marian Lewis described the case as "tragic" and said "two young lives have been blighted". She said the defendant was just 18-years-old at the time of the offence and said his "life had been destroyed" as he has lost his good character and he will be serving an immediate custodial sentence. He now suffers from depression and is taking medication.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson found the victim suffered "severe psychological harm", having self harmed and expressed suicidal thoughts since the assault. Addressing the defendant he said: "Your actions, in ways big and small, have changed her life."

Vincent, now aged 20, was sentenced to five years detention in a young offenders' institute, of which he will serve two thirds before released to serve the remainder on licence. Judge Hobson reduced the starting point of seven-and-a-half years by a third, due to the defendant's "immaturity". Vincent was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was made subject to a restraining order for 10 years.

Description

A convicted murderer encouraged a 16-year-old girl into prostitution and took a cut of her payments after having a sexual relationship with her. He was caught after police attended a flat he had rented out for the girl to see clients and found him partially dressed.

Charles Frayne, 46, was jailed for life in 1998 for the murder of jeweller Gerry Hales who was stabbed to death during a robbery in Cowbridge. Following his release, the defendant appeared in the courts on a number of occasions, most recently for possession of a bladed article and criminal damage in 2017.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Tuesday heard Frayne was discovered at an address in Cardiff on April 15, 2021, with his victim after police were flagged down by a man concerned about prostitution taken place. Upon answering the door of the Colum Road flat, Frayne was partially dressed and his "facial expression" changed upon seeing police.

The victim then came to the door and gave a false name and false age, telling police she was 20-years-old, but she appeared "jittery" and was trembling. Further suspicions were raised when open packets of condoms, lingerie and a notebook containing notes about sexual acts were discovered in the flat.

Prosecutor Julia Cox said: "It was quite clear to police some element of sexual activity was ongoing." At some point, another woman arrived at the property and referred to the victim by another name to the one she had given to police.

When the victim was spoken to alone, she told police she had met Frayne on Snapchat and was actually 16-years-old. In an interview, she said the defendant assisted her in opening an account on a website linked to prostitution and gave her the money to do so.

She said she obtained clients and would pay Frayne a section of her earnings. He rented out the property in Colum Road through an Airbnb for four days, and he would be present when she was with clients in another room. He also paid for her food and taxi expenses.

Frayne, of no fixed abode, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to causing or inciting prostitution, but maintained he genuinely believed the victim to be 20-years-old.

Frayne gained the female’s trust by paying for food and taxi before forming a sexual relationship. Once he gained her trust, he then funded an advert on an escort website and caused her to become involved in prostitution..

“This has been a lengthy and complex investigation, His guilty plea reflects the strength of evidence against him because of the police investigation and the bravery of the victim. The impact on the victim has been devastating but she has been extremely resilient and patient since the start of this investigation."

He added: “His [Frayne's] guilty plea reflects the strength of evidence against him because of the police investigation and the bravery of the victim.

“The impact on the victim has been devastating but she has been extremely resilient and patient since the start of this investigation.”

Frayne has been sentenced to ten months in prison, and will spend a total of three years and one month in prison due to being on life licence for a previous offence when he was arrested.

Description

A paedophile attempted to rape a girl under the age of 10 in a sickening attack which she reenacted to police by using dolls. He went onto to grope a teenage girl after trying to convince her to send naked photos of herself.

Adrian Offer, 36, of Cardiff, was discovered after his youngest victim told her mother about the attack, which left her in pain and crying. When confronted, the defendant lied about committing the offence and blamed one of the victim's family members but he was disproved by a jury who found him guilty.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard attempted to rape his first victim by forcing her to straddle him, but he was unable to do so. He then sexually assaulted her.

When the victim told her mother, she described another incident when Offer sexually assaulted her. The police were called but the defendant denied the accusations.

It later came to light that Offer had sexually assaulted a teenage girl after she told her teacher he had groped her breasts. He also send her messages in which he tried to encourage her to send naked photos of herself, but she refused to do so.

Offer, of Kirkwall Court, Tremorfa, denied a count of attempted rape of a minor, two counts of sexual assault and sexual communication with a child, but he was found guilty of the charges following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. The court heard he had previous convictions but none of them were relevant.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, the young victim's mother described how her daughter was seeking reassurance from staff members at her school, and will have days when she isolates herself from friends. It is was also said she had been reenacting what had happened to her with dolls, like she did in her police interview. The victim's mother said her daughter's behaviour had worsened, her routine and schooling had been disrupted.

She added: "I have been affected by this and so has my family. My mental health has suffered, I have been prescribed anti-depressants and I am unable to sleep.... I feel guilty I never knew what was happening and feel disgusted (Offer) did that. I just hope (my daughter) can forget about what has happened."

In her victim personal statement, the second victim said: "I feel safe now Offer has been arrested... My school has told my mother my behaviour has changed. I am not sure how it has made me feel. I don't like school as much as I used to and I go to my room and don't stay downstairs anymore."

The court heard there was little mitigation to be put forward on the defendant's behalf as he still maintained his innocence and accepted no responsibility for his offences.

Sentencing, Judge Lucy Crowther said: "This was brazen and persistent offending against two children.... Probation has said you are at high risk of committing further sexual offences against female young children. I am quite satisfied you are a dangerous offender and pose serious risk of harm to female children."

Offer was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of four years. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he is considered for parole, and was made subject to sex offender notification requirements for life.

Description

A convicted paedophile failed to tell police about his new phone. Shane Upton from Cardiff was already under a suspended prison sentence after sharing indecent images and attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The 34-year-old, of Pen-Y-Lan Road in Roath, was put under a sexual harm prevention order last November which meant he had to inform police within three days if he purchased a mobile phone which had internet access. In June this year he bought one from CEX.

Prosecutor Emma Harris told Cardiff Crown Court: "On June 5 he got in contact with his probation officer and indicated he had a new phone and a new phone number. The probation officer was concerned he may have breached the sexual harm prevention order."

Ten days later a police officer visited Upton's home and examined the phone, finding it was connected to the internet. Upton later pleaded guilty to breaching the order, which had been made last November alongside a 17-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. That came after he had been convicted of three counts of distributing and three counts of possessing indecent images of children as well as the attempted incitement of sexual activity.

Ms Harris said that when Upton was arrested for the breach, he claimed he "did not think about disclosing ownership of the phone as he did not have contact details to pass the information on". His lawyer Adam Sharp told the court it would be "unjust" to activate the suspended sentence for such a breach.

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull KC, agreed. "He told his probation officer of the purchase," said the judge. "I'm happy to accept this was a stupid error on his part in not understanding the order."

Mr Sharp added that his client previously had a long-term drinking issue but has benefited from an alcohol abstinence order. Recorder Bull then told Upton he would be making a 12-month community order with 25 hours of unpaid work. Upton, who receives Universal Credit, must also pay prosecution costs of £420 at a rate of £20 a month.

Description

A registered sex offender well known to police thought he was preying on a vulnerable child when he was actually sending sexual text messages to a police decoy.

Steven Baker, 57, has found himself behind bars again for breaching several conditions of his sexual harm prevention order when he engaged in a conversation via text messages with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.

After a lengthy engagement with the undercover officer Baker was arrested at his home in Ely, Cardiff, in June by officers from South Wales Police and the regional organised crime unit Tarian. Baker pleaded guilty to the charge of engaging in sexual communications with a child at the earliest opportunity, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

He was sentenced to 22 months in prison, half of which he will serve behind bars. Following the sentencing detective inspector Mathew Davies, of Tarian, said Baker’s case “shows we are monitoring offenders to remove the most dangerous individuals from society who continue to offend”.

DI Davies said: “There is considerable work being undertaken to identify those offenders looking to exploit children online and preying on the most vulnerable in society." He added: “It is another notable result for Tarian and South Wales Police to identify this offender attempting to target vulnerable children. By working closely with South Wales Police we were able promptly to detain Baker to prevent him for committing further offences. It is paramount that we safeguard children and the most vulnerable within our communities and working closely with all southern Wales forces we will continue to target those offenders looking to exploit children."

Description

A member of staff at a primary school was found in possession of indecent images of children including the most serious category. The man was said to have been "immediately removed from the school" after the offences came to light.

Steven Jones, 51, an employee of Ynyshir Primary School in Porth, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of indecent images of children. These included 109 category A images, 150 category B images and 75 category C images. It's not suggested any pupils from the school were depicted in the images.

The defendant, of The Philog, Whitchurch, Cardiff, was arrested on September 26 last year and later admitted the offences. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday to 12 months imprisonment and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Following the hearing, parents at Ynyshir Primary School were written to by headteacher Paula Phillips, who said: "It is with great regret that I wish to inform you that a member of teaching staff from our school has pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of children. Sentencing took place today at Newport Crown Court.

"Now that the criminal process has concluded, the school and its governing body, in partnership with key council services, will undertake internal disciplinary processes to consider suitability for employment and any necessary referrals to the relevant professional bodies, as deemed appropriate."

In a statement, a spokesman for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council on behalf of the school, said: "This incident has shocked and appalled our school and wider community. Whilst we are advised that these images did not include children from our school, these crimes have undoubtedly impacted on many, and we hope that the sentence imposed will help those affected. As soon as professionals were made aware of these serious allegations and police intervention, the staff member was immediately removed from the school.

“We would like to thank South Wales Police for their work in helping to keep our children and communities safe. As a school we will continue to work with our partners and families to ensure that our learners remain safe and protected, which is our absolute priority.”

Description

A man tried to drag a woman into a bush during a terrifying ordeal in a park. The woman was grabbed by Dale Edey who was pretending to look for a lost dog.

The 38-year-old targeted the woman as she walked through Bute Park in Cardiff at around 6.30am on August 31 last year. A court heard Edey wrapped his arms around her and forcibly kissed her, before attempting to drag her towards an isolated area of the park.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday, July 11, heard the victim had gone through a morning stroll and spoken to her mother on the phone. As she reached an area of the park with outside gym equipment, she noticed him, WalesOnline reports.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said Edey asked her if she had seen a dog, the victim said she had not but would keep an eye out. Mr Griffiths added: "He approached her and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and began kissing her neck. She struggled against him and began screaming."

The victim went to the floor and Edey pinned her to the ground before attempting to drag her to a hedge and bushes nearby. As he did so, the victim banged her head on gym equipment.

She continued screaming as the defendant grabbed at her clothes and jogging bottoms and tried to pull them down. Mr Griffiths said: "[The victim] in her words, screamed her lungs off for help and he responded 'shut up or I'll kill you'.

"Screaming turned to pleading, she didn't give up struggling and eventually the defendant got up and left her." The victim made her way to the Blackweir entrance of the park when a man stopped to help her and the police were called.

The park was closed for investigations to be carried out and the victim's clothes were analysed for forensic evidence. DNA evidence was found on the waist band of her jogging bottoms which matched with Edey's DNA profile.

Edey, of Pennsylvania Avenue, Pentwyn, was arrested on September 19 but denied the offences and answered no comment to questions put to him. He later pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and committing an offence with the intention of committing a relevant sexual offence.

The court heard he had 31 previous convictions, including assault by beating. In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said: "Since this incident I have suffered from anxiety which affects me and my ability to function on a day to day basis.

"Shortly after the attack I would break down and cry anywhere or any time. I was extremely distressed after going to the incident. It affects my sleep and I often dream about what happened and even now to this day I have regular nightmares.

"I was initially injured and had bruises and torn muscles which made it hard to sleep for a while because I was sore. I felt beaten and it takes time to recover from that."

She continued: "The incident happened in the day time so I am generally uneasy during the day, I am uneasy about where I am and who is around me which is especially true when I am on my own.

"I cannot speak to strangers any more, this is really sad as I used to be friendly and happy to help but I will never interact with strangers because I am scared of them."

In mitigation, Heath Edwards said the incident was "isolated" and was the first sexual offence his client had been convicted of. He said the defendant would be able to undergo relevant programmes while in custody, where he has been working as a wing cleaner.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Edey had refused to leave his cell and attend the sentencing hearing for the second day in a row, so would be sentenced in his absence. She added: "You caused severe psychological harm and used violence against your victim."

Edey was sentenced to four years and 11 months imprisonment with an extended three years on licence. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is considered for parole. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements.

Description

A paedophile who previously sexually abused children and engaged in sexual conversations with a child breached a court order after failing to tell the authorities about a mobile phone. He claimed he had "forgotten" to notify his probation officer about the device.

Malcolm John West, 63, of Cardiff, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in August last year after he was convicted of engaging in sexual communications with a child. As part of the order, the defendant was required to keep probation informed of his address and to register any electronic devices.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard West previously breached court orders by failing to tell the authorities about new addresses. He was convicted of intercourse with a girl under 18, in both 1979 and 1984, and convicted of indecent assault of a girl under 14, in 1993.

Following his release prison in March 14 this year, the defendant was found to have failed in his duty to notify probation about the purchase of a mobile phone. When officers visited his home on March 30, he was asked why he had not registered the phone and he admitted he had "forgotten" to notify them.

West, of Clive Street, Grangetown, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to breach of a SHPO. The court heard he has a total of 63 previous convictions.

Defence barrister Nick Gedge said there was no suggestion there was "anything untoward" on the phone. He said the defendant was preoccupied at the time of the offence due to his partner being in hospital and him being evicted.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: "You are a persistent sex offender and have little regard for orders. She sentenced West to a total of eight months imprisonment. The Sexual Harm Prevention Order remains in force.