Latest Offenders Glamorgan

Description

A PAEDOPHILE who sent a naked picture of himself to “underage schoolgirls” has been locked up.

Gerald Thomas, 42, of Sir Ivor Place, Dinas Powys thought he was in contact with two 14-year-old girls but was in fact messaging a decoy.

He was jailed for two years and 10 months by Judge Lucy Crowther after pleading guilty to three child sex offences.

The defendant admitted two counts of attempting to cause/incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Thomas’ offences were committed between January 12, 2024 and January 22, 2024.

He will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely and pay a £228 surcharge following his release from prison.

Description

A Corsham paedophile abused two boys and collected hundreds of incident images of children.

Marshall Taylor, formerly known as Mark Benjamin, has been jailed after being found guilty of a number of sexual offences involving children at Swindon Crown Court today (30 January).

The 56-year-old, currently of Wain Close, Pennarth, Glamorgan, lived on Pine Close in Rudloe at the time of the offences. Following his arrest, he changed his name via deed poll.

On May 20 last year, his address was searched and a number of electronic storage devices were seized.

These devices were found to contain more than 1,500 indecent images, including those of children and of the most offensive category.

In addition, two videos of child abuse were also found which Taylor later pleaded guilty to making, and of two counts of sexual touching of a child.

He also pleaded guilty to filming a third video of abuse and possession of Category A, B, C and extreme images.

Officers identified the boys involved in these videos, who are now adults. One was supportive of the investigation and provided a statement about the abuse he suffered.

At an earlier hearing, on December 15, 2022, a jury at Swindon Crown Court unanimously found Taylor guilty of causing a child to watch a sexual act and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Whilst on bail Taylor went on to view and possess further extreme images.

Today he was sentenced for 10 offences, to serve an eight-year custodial sentence and was issued with a sexual harm prevention order which will run until 2038.

DC Simon Rogers said: I am very happy with the guilty verdict and hope that this brings closure to the victims.

Taylor is an extremely dangerous individual and he posed a serious risk to the public. I welcome the custodial sentence passed today.

Taylor took his time to gain the trust of these boys and groom them to believe that his behaviour was normal.

I would like to commend their bravery. I encourage all victims of sexual violence, no