Latest Offenders Cardiff

Description

John Hawker, 25, of St Athan, cruelly abused the victim after bribing her with chocolate and presents

John Hawker repeatedly raped an underaged teenage girl after grooming her for a number of years. The victim said the abuse still continued to make her feel ill and said "I don't feel like me anymore".

John Hawker, 25, cruelly abused the girl which began with him "inappropriately touching" her when she a young child. She consistently told her abuser she was "not interested" in sexual behaviour and told him to stop but he offered her bribes of chocolate and presents in order to gain her "confidence and trust".

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard the girl was sleeping when she woke up in pain and discomfort. She realised Hawker was raping her and struggled in an effort to push him off but the defendant persisted. Judge Jeremy Jenkins told the court Hawker had taken the victim's virginity during the rape. He added: "This was her introduction to sex."

Description

A woman racked with shame and guilt called the police and confessed to sexually abusing two young girls when she was in her 20s. She repeatedly indecently assaulted one of the girls, on one occasion abusing her after becoming aroused from a rape scene in a film.

Sarah Bennett, now 50, of Cardiff, brought her sexual offences to the attention of the authorities in 2021, after she had giving up drinking and turned to religion. Her victim was contacted by the police and agreed to bring charges, while the second girl involved did not wish to.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the abuse began when the victim was just 12-years-old. The defendant groomed her by giving her cider and giving her money. The victim developed a crush on her and Bennett told her she had feelings for her.

Prosecutor Ruth Smith heard the first incident of sexual abuse began when Bennett kissed the victim's hand and mouth. She would often "cwtsh" the victim, who described herself as "needy for affection". There was regular kissing and the defendant would "thrust" herself onto the victim.

The abuse escalated to Bennett taking off the victim's shorts before sexually abusing her. Ms Smith said the victim "didn't really know what she was doing". Afterwards, Bennett told the victim not to tell anyone about what had taken place or they wouldn't be able to see each other. Even though she didn't enjoy what was happening, the victim said the idea of not seeing the defendant made her "sad".

On another occasion, Bennett touched the victim's breasts before pulling her tights down before touching her privates.. The victim described herself feeling "stupid" and the actions of the defendant as "forceful and painful". This happened on another occasion, causing the victim to bleed and she had her first period not long afterwards.

The victim said the abuse carried on at "every time the opportunity presented itself". Bennett gave the victim pints of cider and was "rough" with her. She was also verbally abusive towards the victim, calling her a "slag". The victim described herself as "isolated" and "just wanted to die". She wanted the abuse to stop but felt conflicted as Bennett made her "feel special". Ms Smith said the victim began to cut herself with a piece of broken mirror and described her stomach "knotting up" when Bennett was verbally abusive.

On another occasion, Bennett and the victim were watching a film when the defendant became sexually aroused by a rape scene. She threw the victim onto the ground and sexually assaulted her. The abuse continued for a number of years, the victim describing herself as "scared and frightened" when the defendant was in drink, and she began drinking regularly herself. When the victim made new friends, Bennett grabbed her by throat and smashed up her belongings.

The victim said she later realised Bennett had been "controlling" and realised "how wrong" the abuse had been. She later told police: "It wasn't a caring loving relationship. It was a very controlling relationship. She had a hold on me for a long time. I didn't see my family for years and didn't have any confidence in myself or self esteem. I suffer with anxiety which affects me and bothers me."

Matters came to ahead in 2021 when Bennett contacted the police and disclosed the abuse of two girls, including the victim. She said she felt "terrible" and needed to confess. She also described herself as a "different person" after giving up alcohol. When police arrived at her home to arrest her, she left a note.

It read: "Dear Sir/Madam, I confess when I was in my 20s I had a relationship with two teenage girls..... I have hated myself with a passion for year. It seems like a different person or lifetime. The shame and guilt remains within. I am truly sorry."

Bennett, of Pen y Bryn Way, Gabalfa, later pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecent assault of a child. The court heard she was of previous good character. In mitigation, Adam Sharp said the matters would not have come to light had she not confessed to the police, having been "riddled with guilt" and wishing to atone.

He said the defendant was from a "traditional and religious family" but suffered trauma in her childhood and left the family home before going on to work as an auxiliary nurse and a delivery driver. He said was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and had been clean from alcohol for eight years.

Sentencing, Judge Lucy Crowther said: "You have overcome serious illness and overcome addiction and reconciled with your mother. You did what many wouldn't do. You had the courage to ring the police and tell them something that was not previously known. I accept you are overwhelmed with remorse for what you have done."

Bennett was sentenced to a total of three years imprisonment. She was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order indefinitely, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 20 years.

Description

A married paedophile who groomed what he believed to be a young girl told her to say she was his niece when they met to avoid arousing suspicion.

Daniel Smart engaged in a series of highly sexual conversations with someone he believe to be a 13-year-old child but who was actually an undercover police officer. During the communications Smart told the female he wanted to take her virginity, tried to get her to perform a series of sex acts, and discussed her travelling to see him in Swansea so they could have sex in his car.

When arrested Smart said he was addicted to chatting online, and descried the conversations he had with what he believed to be a child as "verbal porn". Sending the defendant to prison, a judge told the father that though he may find it difficult to accept the fact, the reality is he has a sexual interest in children.

James Hartson, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court in July last year Smart began communicating with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl online, discussing her age and school and joking he was old enough to be her father but "he wouldn't tell if she wouldn't". Smart then asked the teenager to start chatting with him on Skype in case his wife had access to his WhatsApp account.

The court heard that over the following couple of days Smart engaged in a series of sexual conversations in which he detailed the sexual activity he wanted to do with the child, telling her he wanted to be "her first" and describing how she was making him "horny". He also assured her she would not get pregnant as he had had "the snip". During the conversations the defendant also encouraged the girl to perform sex acts on herself. The court heard 45-year-old Smart also suggested the girl take a "sicky" from school and travel to Swansea so they could have sex in his car, telling her she should pretend to be his niece if anybody raised any questions about them being together.

The defendant was subsequently arrested at his home address, and made admissions to officers about his activities. He said he believed he had "a bit of an addiction" to chatting online, and he described what had happened as "verbal porn" but he said he should have stopped when he found out the age of the person he was talking to. He denied having any sexual attraction to young people.

Daniel Smart, now of Gelyn-y-Cler, Barry, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity - one penetrative activity and one none-penetrative activity - when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Andrew Evans, for Smart, said he defendant remains "at something of a loss" to explain what happened, and has engaged the services of a private counsellor to help him understand the triggers for his behaviour. The advocate said the offending had already had a significant impact on Smart - including the ending of his marriage - and that once released from any custodial sentence he will have to "rebuild his life".

Judge Paul Hobson noted Smart was a father and was in good employment, and he told the defendant that though he may find it difficult to accept it, the fact was he has a sexual attraction to children. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas and in accordance with the sentencing guidelines Smart was sentenced to 28 months in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

Description

A sex offender pulled a drunk woman into a nightclub unisex toilet cubicle and attempted to rape her. The victim was unable to overpower the man who pulled down her underpants and tried to penetrate her with his penis.

Olaf Koranteng, 27, grabbed the victim's hand and pulled her into a toilet cubicle in Pulse nightclub in Cardiff on July 3 last year. He imprisoned her inside the cubicle and despite her protestations he refused to let her go.

The victim, who has lifelong anonymity, said she felt "disgusting" after the attack and is now petrified of strangers. Koranteng remained in the club and later appeared "confused" when he was arrested by police.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant had arrived in the UK from Ghana less than a month before he carried out the attempted rape. On the night of the attack, the married man had been searching the internet for casual sex and had used the search term "local slags".

The victim attended Pulse with her boyfriend, arriving at 3am. They both went to the unisex toilets at the club, and Koranteng made a comment to the couple. After using the toilets, the victim was unable to find her boyfriend.

Prosecutor Jason Howells said it was at this point Koranteng grabbed hold of her and forcefully pulled her into a cubicle against her will before locking the door. He pushed her against the back wall, put his hands around her neck and tried to kiss her. He tried to grab her hand and put it on his penis but she fought against him.

Koranteng then grabbed her underpants and pulled them down before rubbing his penis on her vagina. She said "What are you doing, get off me" and told the defendant she was with her boyfriend. She managed to unlock the door and escape. She then broke down in tears and told her boyfriend about the attack, before notifying a member of staff.

The victim described Koranteng as "larger, taller and stronger" than her and said the incident left her feeling scared. She told police "It's wrong, it's absolutely wrong."

The defendant, who returned to the dancefloor, was arrested at the club and told police he was having a "fun night meeting white people". During his interview, he said: "Am I going to get away with this? I have learnt my lesson".

Swabs were taken from Koranteng on which the victim's DNA was discovered and he was seen on CCTV approaching a number of women in the nightclub. The defendant, of Lower Cathedral Road, later pleaded guilty to attempted rape. The prosecution did not proceed with two counts of sexual assault in respect two women in the nightclub the same night.

In a victim personal statement read out to the court, the victim said: "In the beginning just after what happened I was unable to shower having to go to the sexual assault referral centre. I felt gross with the man's germs all over me. I felt disgusting and wanted a shower. I felt disgusting having swabs taken and not being able to have a shower before the examination was awful and humiliating.

"Following what happened I wouldn't go out on my own. I was petrified strangers would come up to me as I didn't know what they were capable of. I thought they were going to rape me like the man in Pulse. I don't know how anyone could do that. I will never have trust in anyone again.

"I was blaming myself a lot and would think if I could have done anything differently but I just know I couldn't have got him off me. I am now going to the gym to become stronger. I have been struggling mentally and I am still suffering now. I think I am fine and all of a sudden it will hit me."

The victim said she would never use mixed toilets again and is scared someone will drag her into the toilets.

In mitigation, the court heard Koranteng had come to the UK on his wife's Visa, which he viewed as a "golden opportunity". Defence barrister Josh Scouller said his client wished to apologise to the victim and was "ashamed" and "remorseful" for the distress he had caused her. The defendant claimed he was "drunk and tired" and "misread the signals in a major way". Mr Scouller said he failed to appreciate "cultural differences" in the UK and "took his behaviour too far".

Sentencing, Recorder Bilal Siddique said: "You have nearly managed to rape the victim having isolated her, overpowered her, removed her underwear, took your penis out and pressed your erect penis against her vagina, coming very close to penetrating her. At the last moment the attempt failed.

"You were clearly looking for women that night searching for, in your words, 'local slags' and spent the night alone in the club effectively trying it on with various women. You were looking for casual sexual encounters that night but that is not what this was. This was a stranger rape case."

Koranteng was sentenced to four years and one month imprisonment, with an extended three years on licence. He faces automatic deportation upon his release from prison.

Description

The victims of a former councillor and teacher who sexually abused them as children worried they wouldn't be believed because of his influence. A judge told Anthony Hampton the character he portrayed throughout his life was "a façade."

The 75-year-old ex Vale of Glamorgan councillor was convicted of indecently assaulting two boys in the 1990s, following a trial at Newport Crown Court. He repeatedly rubbed his penis on one of the boy's shoulders before masturbating in his presence, forcing the boy to masturbate him and masturbating the victim.

The second victim was repeatedly touched on the leg near his groin by Hampton. The victims reported the abuse to the police when adults and the former teacher was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault. The defendant, of Watkiss Way, Cardiff Bay, continues to claim his innocence despite the guilty verdicts.

At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, victim personal statements were read out by prosecutor Roger Griffiths on behalf of the victims. The first victim said: "As a child growing up I believe his abuse made me a quiet kid, I was withdrawn. The impact of what I experienced made me question my sexuality due to the nature of the abuse he put me through...

"I struggled with the impact of that and struggled to understand why it was me it was happening to, why I was so different and why he abused me. When I came forward and the matter was reported to the police I was extremely fearful I would not be believed and bringing the matter to the attention of the police was upsetting.

"At the time of the abuse he was a serving teacher and serving as a councillor in the Barry area. I feared because of his position and being an influential person in the Vale of Glamorgan, I worried I wouldn't be believed.... It was the worst experience of my life and I was embarrassed and ashamed about what happened to me."

The second victim said he feared emotional attachment, had low self esteem, depression, body dysmorphia, a distrust of others and suffered from bed wetting as a result of the abuse. He said as a result of the body dysmorphia, he used hormones which damaged his heart and left his body disfigured.

The victim said he tried to take his own life with a drugs overdose and had been abusing drugs and alcohol but had been clean for 18 months. He said: "My mental suffered and I thought I wouldn't be believed...

"I've questioned why he did what he did to me and what right he had to do it. He didn't have any right, I was a child and he was an adult. Hampton said the accusations against him were abhorrent but what he did was abhorrent. I'm pleased the jury have seen him for what he is even though he doesn't have the guts to admit what he has done."

In mitigation, Christopher Rees said his client's reputation was ruined and he had lost his good character. he said the defendant was in ill health and his wife was reliant on him for care.

Sentencing, Judge Richard Williams said: "The character you portrayed to the outside world has been a facade. There is no remorse on your part."

Hampton was sentenced to a total of seven years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

A bus driver repeatedly raped and sexually as well as physically abused five teenage girls - and left them feeling suicidal. The majority of the girls were underage when he preyed on them, a court heard.

Lee Williams, 32, of Cardiff, groomed his victims by buying them jewellery, cuddly toys and food while lying about his age. Once in a relationship with the victims, he raped them and subjected them to further degrading sexual acts which left them injured and crying.

Addressing a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, prosecutor Roger Griffiths said: “We say the defendant sexually abused these children to satisfy his desire for sexual activity with children under the age of consent. He took advantage of their immaturity and in some cases vulnerability in order to carry out these offences.”

Williams began abusing the first victim when she was 15 years old after they had met when he was driving a bus. He told her he “liked younger girls” and raped her a number of times. After being raped, she was physically sick. In a victim personal statement, the first victim said she was bullied at school and suffering from depression, which Williams took advantage of.

She said: “He raped me, plied me with drugs and would make it seem like it was my fault. I wondered if I had done something wrong to make him treat me like this... He was also a feeder and plied me with takeaways. I put on four stone in eight months.” The victim said she tried to take her own life due to the abuse.

The second victim was over the age of consent when Williams raped her. She met him through the first victim and he started buying her gifts. He then raped and strangled her numerous times. On one occasion he strangled her until she lost consciousness while he was raping her. He also raped her while she was asleep and sexually assaulted her, which caused her injuries. Without her consent, he placed her on a dating website and tried to force her into having a threesome.

In her victim personal statement, she said Williams would drive to remote locations and would point a toy BB gun at her.

She added: “He saw I was vulnerable and took advantage of it. He took my bank card and transferred money to himself. He isolated me and I couldn’t do anything without him. That’s when the abuse started. I felt the only way out was to take my own life.”

The victim was frightened when he strangled her and “thought he was going to kill her”. The third victim came into contact with Williams when she was 14 years old. They had sex after her 15th birthday. He went on to rape her and turned his attention to his fourth victim. A court heard he abused the latter two victims in a van.

He told the third victim to delete pictures and to lie about their relationship. She said: “I was unhappy because of what Lee was doing to me.” The court was told that she now suffers flashbacks and nightmares.

The fourth victim was told by Williams to “keep quiet” or they would get into trouble. She later told police :“I don’t like my body because I know he has touched it... I don’t like being around men anymore.”

The fifth victim was 13 years old when the abuse began, after Williams contacted her on Snapchat and told her he was 18. He took her to McDonald’s and pressured her into having sex. They met further times and had sex and he offered her amphetamines and cannabis. The defendant later sexually assaulted her and raped her, despite her telling him to get off, before telling her: “You’ll get used to it in time.”

Williams also told the girl to wear school uniform and that he wanted to have sex with an 11-year-old. As well as being physically abusive - which included punching her in the stomach - he sent her messages saying “I just raped you.”

She said: “I would like to know why he did what he did to me. I will never know.”

Williams, of Brynheulog, Pentwyn, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to 12 counts of rape, 14 counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of assault by penetration. He had previously been convicted of benefit fraud and possession of class B drugs.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant acknowledged his behaviour and was willing to engage in rehabilitative work. Defence barrister Christopher Rees said his client’s best mitigation was his early guilty plea.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd said: “Your behaviour has caused significant trauma to them all, some of your victims have felt guilty but they have nothing to be guilty about. The guilt and the responsibility all lie with you.”

Williams was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of nine years and four months. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order in respect of all his victims indefinitely.

Description

A pensioner sexually assaulted a woman while she was asleep after he had taken cocaine and cannabis. The woman woke to find herself naked and the man touching her.

Huw Thomas, 72, of Cardiff, was found guilty of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. The court heard he attended a house in Penarth in 2020, where he drank alcohol, took drugs.

He entered a bedroom where the victim, a young woman, was lying in bed and went on to sexually assault her. The victim later called the police and Thomas was arrested but he claimed the woman was awake as well as instigated and consented to the sexual acts.

Thomas, of Cae Syr Dafydd, Canton, told police in his interview he had penetrated the victim with his fingers, which the victim was not aware of at the time of the offence. He continued to claim his innocence at trial but was found guilty of both the charges he faced. 

Sentencing, Recorder John Philpotts said: "The jury convicted you of two serious sexual offences against a young female. You drank alcohol, took cocaine and smoked cannabis. You entered a bedroom occupied by your victim.

"She awoke to find you touching her vagina as she lay naked in bed. You also, unbeknownst to her, digitally penetrated her. She reported the matter to police and you were arrested. In your interview by police, you claimed that what you had done was with the consent and the instigation of your victim.

"You maintained that account at trial but the jury rejected it and from reading the pre-sentence it's clear you still refuse to accept your guilt."

The court heard Thomas had some previous convictions but not related to sexual offences. In mitigation, defence barrister Susan Ferrier said her client had been described as "decent, honest, polite, helpful and a man of conviction" by those that knew him. She said at the time of the offence, Thomas was in a depressive state and recognised he had a drinking problem.

Ms Ferrier said: "He maintains his position it was his belief she was awake but the jury rejected this." She said the offence was "opportunistic" in nature, and described the defendant as a "family man".

Thomas was sentenced to a total of two years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A paedophile has been jailed for 21 years after two of his victims secretly taped his confession.

At Cardiff Crown Court a judge told Keith Edmonds, 86, he had no sympathy for the fact he would die in prison.

Edmonds, of Taff's Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, did not realise one of his victims was recording him on a mobile phone when he apologised to them.

A jury found him guilty of 11 charges of sexual assault against four children under 13 between 2001 and 2015.

In the recording, Edmonds could be heard saying: "I'm sorry. I wish I could turn back the clock then I wouldn't have done it."

The tape was handed to police, but the father-of-two denied the charges, claiming he was tired and wanted to go to bed when he confessed.

He told the court: "I didn't do anything to them. I just told them what they wanted to hear so they would go away."

His four victims, now adults, told how they were left suffering from panic attacks, flashbacks and suicidal thoughts after years of abuse.

One told the court: "I was cheated out of a happy childhood. The constant dark cloud that has hung over me ever since has never diminished."

The court heard Edmonds has declining health and is under the care of a cardiologist.

Judge Michael Fitton KC told him: "I recognise that it is inevitable that you will die in prison. That is a matter that moves me to not a shred of sympathy for you.

"You are a man who is morally bankrupt and have shown no remorse. You ruined the childhood of four children, bringing shame, pain and emotional turmoil on them."

Edmonds was told he will spend two-thirds of his sentence in prison, meaning he will be 100 by the time he is eligible for parole.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and told to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Judge Fitton praised Edmonds' victims for their "commendable and extraordinary courage" in bringing him to justice.

Description

A man sexually assaulted a woman while she was on the phone to her mother after following her off a train.

David Danks, 35, attacked the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in a Cardiff street after he saw her leaving the train at Lisvane and Thornhill railway station on August 4.

A judge described the incident as “every female’s worst nightmare”.

Danks initially told police he was the one who had intervened to prevent the assault and had experienced an “outer body” moment when he realised the person he was describing to police was himself.

During the assault, the victim was on the phone to her mother, who described hearing her daughter shouting for help on the end of the line as the “worst moment of her life”.

Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Ian Colvin said: “(The woman) had been to Cardiff city centre to socialise with a friend that evening and decided to catch the last train back to Lisvane at 11.15pm.

“She was on the train on her own and the defendant was on that train as well. She was using her mobile phone to talk to her mother.

“She got off at the station in Lisvane and continued to talk on her phone. Having seen other people get off, she was aware of a male behind her. She decided to walk into a building area to let him pass but he didn’t do so. He was carrying white carrier bags and stopped as if he dropped something but carried on.”

Mr Colvin said: “Without warning she heard a ‘rawr’ sound and felt a push to her back causing her to fall over. The male managed to turn her over and she started to scream with the phone still in her hand. She was afraid she was going to be sexually assaulted and shouted out ‘he’s going to rape me’.”

The court heard Danks tried to place his hand under the woman’s dress and grabbed the bottom of her underwear, trying to get his hands underneath them.

He then sexually assaulted the woman as she hit and kicked out him while screaming for help, until he put his hand over her mouth.

She eventually managed to get away from Danks and ran away to nearby flats where residents had come to her assistance, dropping her handbag in the process.

Danks, a father-of-one, ran off.

In a statement to the court, the woman said she now struggled to sleep and had been replaying the incident in her head.

She said she felt “paranoid” when out and did not feel safe in her own home.

She also expressed worry about the impact the incident had on her mother, who described hearing her daughter screaming for help before the line cut out as the “worst moment of her life”.

When police arrived at the scene, Danks turned up and approached them.

Mr Colvin said: “He gave the officers a bizarre explanation. He said he had come across the complainant being assaulted by someone else and he had intervened and during the course of that intervention received a cut to the nose. He smelled strongly of alcohol and was out of breath.

“He said having gone home, he walked back to the scene to tell the police what happened. It was because of passer-bys’ descriptions of the defendant and the claimant’s firm assertion that one person was involved that he was arrested.”

In police interview, Danks said he had a vague recollection of what had taken place but claimed he thought he had seen his partner and had hugged her but when she started screaming he realised it wasn’t his partner and ran away.

He also claimed to have been suffering from mental health issues and he believed his drink had been spiked on the night of the assault.

Jenny Yeo, defending, said Danks had been seeking to rationalise his behaviour and believes he suffered from “depersonalisation”.

She said he had experienced an “outer body” moment and believed he was chasing the perpetrator who turned out to be himself.

She said he had recently been suffering with stress in his role as an engagement officer with Communities First in Newport which may have contributed to his behaviour.

Judge Stephen Hopkins QC said: “Offences of sexual assault vary in their seriousness but this offence is particularly serious as it involved an attack by you on a lone female at night and she and I have no doubt if it weren’t for her courageous struggle that you would have raped her.”

He added: “You appear to still be largely in denial and see yourself as the victim, not the perpetrator. You are considered at a high risk of reoffending and a dangerous offender.

“The facts of this case is every female’s worst nightmare, being a sexual assault while walking at night on a public street. The offending calls for condign punishment.”

Danks, of West Rise, Llanishen, was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment and will remain on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Description

A MAN from Cardiff who used Snapchat to groom and meet up with a schoolgirl has been jailed.

James Vaatstra, 35, knew his victim was 14 years old when he sent her a video of him masturbating.

He arranged to pick the girl up in an old ambulance which he had converted into a campervan and drove her to Ogmore-by-Sea.

The victim told police how he asked her to cuddle him while in the van after giving her cannabis.

The alarm was raised by one of the parents of one of the victim’s friends, who became concerned about some comments that she made.

He was arrested on September 21, 2021, the day after the initial call to police.

Officers found numerous sex toys during a search of his van, which was also equipped with a bed.

They also found footage similar to what had been described by the victim on his phone. In one message to the girl, entitled ‘DADDY’, he told her: “Haha if I liked prison food then I would of for you baby already taking a naughty risk meeting but I ******* love you !!!Xxx”. 

Officers were able to link this message to Vaatstra’s Snapchat account.

Vaatstra was charged with meeting a girl under the age of 16 following grooming. He pleaded guilty before appearing at Cardiff Crown Court on October 14 where he was jailed for two years.

He was also subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching or contacting the victim.

Detective Constable Sam Evans said:

“I would like to give praise to the person who acted on their suspicions and raised the alarm with police. It is my belief the intervention very likely prevented any further escalation and safeguarded the victim from further harm.

“The 14-year-old victim admitted that she was so glad that somebody had made contact because she didn’t know how to get out of the situation herself.

“This case, and others like this one, should remind everybody that there are predators online who are targeting children.

“Online safety awareness is so important, and everybody has a role to play.

“If anybody does suspect that somebody is being groomed, then please report it immediately.”

Description

A "family man" sent an explicit image of himself to a police officer posing online as a 12-year-old boy. Robert Jones from Cardiff had asked the 'boy' for sexual images and described him as "hot".

The 43-year-old security officer was caught in the sting after exchanging messages between August 21 and September 8 last year with a decoy on Kik and Snapchat. Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett told Cardiff Crown Court: "The defendant had received an image of the supposed boy lying on a bed wearing a Superman outfit. He engaged what he thought to be a child in a text conversation.

"The 'child' said he thought the defendant sounded really nice. The defendant indicated he was 42 and lived in Cardiff. The supposed child indicated he was 12, lived at home with his mother, and thought he was gay. The defendant then began to engage in sexualised conversation with the phrase: 'So you're into men then?'

"He then described the 'child' as sexy and hot. He began to make indecent suggestions. He told the 'child' he wanted to run his hands up and down his body, kiss his stomach and chest... He invited the 'boy' to masturbate himself."

Jones sent a series of images and videos showing himself lying on a bed and only wearing underpants "with what was clearly an erection", said Mr Bennett. The defendant had also asked the 'boy' to send sexualised images of himself.

Police then attended Jones' home in Ashcroft Crescent, Fairwater, and seized his iPhone, finding no evidence of other indecent contact. He told officers he considered his own behaviour "disgusting" but claimed he had no sexual motive. Jones said he had felt sorry for his correspondent because the 'boy' was closeted.

Jones, now of Penderyn Close in Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with an under-16. He had no previous convictions.

Stephen Thomas, mitigating, accepted that although the victim was not real his client had "known what he was doing" and made "persistent" contact. But the barrister said it was "very much an isolated incident", adding: "Throughout his life he has suffered with anxiety and depression. His mental health deteriorated over a period of years and he didn't seek assistance. The depression built up, not least with his marriage ending some eight years ago.

"There were issues which meant it took three years for him to resolve contact with his children. He is thoroughly ashamed of himself and the impact of this on his family. He is embarrassed to be appearing in court.

"He is a very hardworking and industrious man, and a family man, employed as a security officer in property protection. If he were sent to custody his job would be lost and he is the main breadwinner for his family who would be significantly affected."

The judge, Recorder IWL Jones, appeared surprised when Mr Thomas asked that he allow police to return the iPhone to the defendant, who has a year left on his £100-a-month phone contract. Denying the request the judge said: "This doesn't normally happen... We can't get away from the fact the phone was used for the purposes of the crime."

Passing sentence Recorder Jones said: "It is quite clear, according to the evidence, that you had an erection under your clothing. You were sexually aroused. You should be, and I am sure are, ashamed of what you did. If the person was indeed a 12-year-old boy there is no question he would have been harmed.

"This case is all the more tragic because you have no previous convictions. I accept you are remorseful and full of shame.

"I have thought long and hard about this. If you were to go straight into prison today it wouldn't simply punish you. It would be a huge punishment for your family – and it is not their fault, it is your fault – resulting in the loss of their accommodation."

The judge imposed a nine-month prison term suspended for 18 months, 30 days of rehabilitation activity, and 150 hours of unpaid work. Jones must also pay prosecution costs of £1,200 and a victim services surcharge of £156. He will be under a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

As he concluded his sentence Recorder Jones told the defendant: "You must remember this is really a last chance.

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David Llewellyn found himself back in court four years after he was jailed for possessing indecent images of children.

A chef banned from hiding his phone history was caught watching incest-themed pornography on incognito mode. Police visited David Llewellyn's home in Cardiff and found him using the setting which prevents internet history being recorded.

Llewellyn was convicted of possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography in 2018, which saw him receive a 16-month prison term and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) prohibiting him from using incognito mode. But the 36-year-old found himself in court again after police paid him an unannounced visit on March 22 to check he was complying with the order.

Prosecutor Joshua Scouller told Cardiff Crown Court on Monday: "Police attended his address in Connaught Road, Cathays, and Mr Llewellyn provided his mobile phone to police. DC Jones opened the phone's Google browser and immediately saw the last site he had viewed was a porn site. He had watched incest titles, but there was no suggestion these were indecent images of children.

"The officer noted the Google page had defaulted to incognito mode. He also checked the internet history and found no record of the site.

"Mr Llewellyn was interviewed under caution and fully accepted he was in incognito mode. He stated he did not intentionally put it in that mode but accepted it was when police offers arrived."

The defendant admitted breaching the SHPO. He had accepted a caution in 2021 for a previous breach, which Mr Scouller said had been a "shot across the bows" from police.

Paul Hewitt, mitigating, said: "Mr Llewellyn went to prison and when he came out his domestic arrangements were affected. He has little contact with his family and has had to, in effect, rebuild his life. It has affected his job because he's a trainee chef trying to do his best in that industry. He works in Cardiff for very long hours, though they have reduced recently to about 46 to 50 hours a week. They were much higher than that. He has debts and is trying to cope with all of that."

The barrister added that police had kept his client's phone for three months before returning it. "He has had to wait since March for this offence to be dealt with," said Mr Hewitt.

Passing sentence, the judge Recorder IWL Jones said: "You were cautioned in September 2021. That should have been a warning to you to be extremely careful. You told an officer you had been using pornography for sexual gratification once every couple of weeks. It's clear you are remorseful, and you have been suffering from depression. Behaving like this puts everything at risk."

The judge imposed a two-year community order including 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity. He must also pay £420 in prosecution costs and a statutory victim services surcharge within three months.

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A paedophile claimed he sent sexual messages to people he thought were a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl because he was "lonely". He asked the girls, who were in reality undercover police officers, if they wanted to meet him and have sex.

Richard Ayres, 58, of Cardiff, began speaking to the decoys, who he believed to be called Abby and Kirsty, on the Kik messenger app in March last year. Upon being told Abby was 13 years old he asked her for photographs and offered to meet her for "fun".

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard the defendant sent photographs of himself behind a desk and told Abby he wanted to kiss her. They also discussed French kissing, he asked her for "sexy selfies" ,and said he "could not wait to get his hands on her body". He also offered to rub sun lotion on her body and messaged: "Do you want me inside you? Do you want my c*** baby?". 

Prosecutor Eugene Egan said Ayres told Kirsty he would "pay her a visit for fun" and asked her to send photographs of herself. He also offered her the chance to "make out" in his car. The decoy made reference to the fact she was in school and the defendant said they could come "make out some arrangement". He also lied about his age by claiming he was 45 years old.

He also told Kirsty that her ex was "lucky to have sex with her" and sent her a message offering "fun" with a red lip emoji. He also exchanged further images of himself.

Ayres was arrested at his home on June 28 and told police he had an addiction to Kik and described his actions as "disgusting and wrong". The defendant, of Ravens Court Close, Penylan, later pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to communicate with a child and two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Defence barrister Andrew Kendal said his client had no intention to meet up with the decoys and the arrangements he made in the conversations for them to meet were "vague". He said there had been a strain in the defendant's marriage and loneliness led to him downloading Kik and communicating with the decoys.

He said Ayres lives with his mother and was concerned about how she would cope if he was sent to prison. The court also heard he worked in a Lidl supermarket and paid child maintenance to his ex-wife.

Sentencing, Recorder John Philpotts said: "You have lost your good character in the most disgraceful way. You had conversations with people you believed to be two girls aged 12 and 13."

Ayres was sentenced to a total of two years imprisonment. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements for seven years.

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A child rapist subject to notification requirements failed to sign on at a police station because it was "a bit difficult" to travel from Barry to Cardiff. He had previously breached court orders numerous times.

David Riseborough, 37, also known as Dafydd Riseborough, was convicted of two counts of raping a child under 13, indecent assault and gross indecency with a child in 2008. He was sentenced to five-years imprisonment and was made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for life, preventing him from having contact with girls under 16.

Upon his release from prison, he was was told he would have to abide by the requirements but he continually breached the orders. His last conviction saw him sentenced to 56 months imprisonment for burglary and an order breach, of which he served half in prison and the rest on licence.

 A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Riseborough was required to attend Cardiff Bay police station on May 15 per the notification requirements. But two days before he was due to attend, he messaged his supervising officer asking if he could attend a day early, but he failed to turn up the following day and thereafter.

Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said the defendant remained at large for month until he was arrested on June 13 in Hansen Street. During his police interview, he admitted he failed to sign on and missed his probation appointment. He said he was in Barry but it was "a bit difficult in getting back to Cardiff to sign on".

Riseborough, of Hollybush Estate, Whitchurch, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements. The court heard this was his ninth breach of the order and 14 of his 22 previous convictions were for sexual offences. As a result of the latest offence, he was recalled to prison for the burglary offence and will serve the remainder of his sentence.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant had made "minimal effort" to contact his supervising officer. It was said he wished to apologise to the court and understands the "precarious position" he has put himself in.

Sentencing, Judge David Wynn Morgan said: "You know better than anyone what your notification requirements are for and you breached them. The reasons for you breaching them are far from satisfactory."

Risborough was sentenced to a total of 20 months imprisonment. He will serve this sentence consecutively with the sentence for the robbery offence.

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A "sadistic" burglar who raped a mother and her 14-year-old daughter was told his crimes were "horrific" and "the stuff of nightmares" as he was jailed for at least 10 years. Joshua Carney, 28, had been released from prison only five days earlier when he carried out his attacks at 6.45am on 1 March. High on the drug spice, he tried the handle and the letterbox on the victims' front door, Cardiff Crown Court was told. The sound alerted the mother, who had been getting ready for work as her daughter slept upstairs. She stepped out into the street and saw Carney, barefoot, hiding around the side of her Cardiff house. As she backed towards her front door, Carney asked her to call him a taxi before forcing his way into her home and locking himself inside. He then punched her repeatedly in the face before raping her in her living room. "The defendant told the victim: 'Stop f****** screaming or I am going to stab you'," Ieuan Bennett, for the prosecution, said. "She at that point didn't know if the defendant was armed or not and became very concerned she and her daughter were going to end up seriously injured, if not killed, by the defendant." The teenager called the police when she heard her mother being attacked, telling the call handler she believed her mum had been stabbed. Carney then tried to break into the girl's room, before her mother told her to open it, fearing they both might be murdered if they did not comply with his wishes. Taking the younger victim's phone, Carney realised she must have called the police. He then raped both victims in the mother's room and violently sexually assaulted the girl. When Carney tried to leave the property by the front he was confronted by police cars. Fearing a hostage situation, the mother offered to show him out of the back door and unlock the back gate, where he was immediately arrested. Carney was taken to hospital and told police he had no memory of what had happened. While in custody, he told officers: "Those f****** little sluts probably called me into their house." He later added: "When will the swabs be coming back because my memory is starting to come back? I'm innocent so obviously it's going to be proved." Carney later pleaded guilty to six counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and two counts of assault by penetration. He further admitted two counts of causing actual bodily harm and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence - that is, the theft of the daughter's phone. In statements read to the court, the victims said they had suffered nightmares and insomnia and had left their neighbourhood. Both said they felt guilty about being unable to prevent each other being attacked. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke jailed Carney for life with a minimum of 10 years. She told him the attack was "deliberately sadistic and no doubt done to satisfy your perverted sexual desires and your abusive sexual remarks are indicative of your attitude - one of the rapes was punishment for phoning the police". The judge acknowledged that Carney was under the influence of drugs, but said his actions - such as locking the front door and taking the daughter's phone - indicated "you were very much in control of what you were doing and your actions were thought through". "Your offending on that day was horrific, it was the stuff of nightmares," she said.