Latest Offenders Swansea

Description

An evil sex abuser made his child victim so fearful she even dreaded her beloved dad tucking her into bed at night. William Stuart James, now 86, first attacked his victim when she was under 10 years old and ignored her pleas begging him to stop.

James, of Waun y Felin, Penclawdd, Swansea, repeatedly assaulted his victim during a period of time in the 1970s. His abuse included digital penetration, kissing and touching parts of her body until she felt pain. He also forced her to touch his penis.

A second campaign of abuse happened in the 1980s when the victim was a young teenager. By this point, James' actions escalated to rape. He also forced her to touch his body and masturbate him.

After evading justice for more than four decades while his victim lived, silenced by fear, James was found guilty on March 22 at Cardiff Crown Court following a trial. He faced eight counts of indecent assault and one of rape before being sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In a powerful victim impact statement read out to the court, his victim - who has automatic lifelong anonymity - described how James' actions permeated every part of her life and even made her fear the people she loved.

Now in her 50s, she told the court: "You put me in impossible situations where I had to endure things that made me feel broken, dirty and deeply distressed. From the first incident I felt terrified of you and increasingly of all men, even my precious dad as he tucked me into bed. You robbed me of growing into a person who trusts men and can eventually have a normal sexual relationship.

"I cannot do certain intimate things and have anxiety in the middle of them and at times even kissing puts me straight back into the past. Because of what you did I struggled to breastfeed my precious babies and having simple things like a bath cause me anxiety as I want to cover up as quick as possible."

She explained how she had always struggled with understanding her identity as a direct result of James' actions and resented parts of her own body. "[I] have always felt immense guilt and thought something was wrong with my body and it always felt dirty. I grew up believing my body was ugly and deformed," she said.

Despite being a "naturally happy" person, she described how James' actions caused her intense anxiety and fear throughout her life. She tried to speak out about what happened, but said the fear would stop her in her tracks. She added: "Your insistence of me promising never to tell anyone caused me immense pressure and silent worry. I felt forced to act in a certain way in front of everyone and not show anything was wrong. I carried the heaviest burden whilst you lived your successful life.

"My life has been far from successful, after what you did to me, my ability to learn was ruined as I couldnt ask for help or explain myself at all as I was full of nerves. I never caught up or felt I achieved in education. I was robbed of my confidence and voice and have always struggled to say what my needs are and ask for help

"Even my school reports said I was a nervous and anxious child. I felt totally alone at school and growing up was made worse after Id gone through puberty and another dreadful time where Id endured repeats and escalations of sexual abuse by you.

"I felt manipulated and whilst you insisted everything was ok and just as it should be, my inability to understand what was happening to me made me feel worthless. The things you whispered in my ears play over and over again when I least expect them, and flashbacks of the incidents have plagued my mind til this day. I have struggled to regulate my feelings and often turned to alcohol and struggled with eating problems

"I find it hard to express myself at times and often feel insecure and misunderstood. Naturally I am a happy, friendly person, but the silent pain that I as a young child began to carry has overshadowed all of my life to this day. For many years it felt like a little person inside was crying out please help me but I could never speak that out."

Addressing James, she said: "Can you for one minute think about what it was like for me to be forced to do sexual stuff with you and then walk out of those rooms and immediately act as if everything was okay. The immensity of anxiety to try to hide what had just happened in those rooms was deeply distressing. Equally, the desperation to tell someone was soul destroying as I knew I couldnt."

She asked him if he had "any idea how gut wrenching my cries were" for her mummy and daddy to take her away from him. "No-one heard and no-one helped me or comforted me. You were solely responsible for all of that."

She thanked friends and family for supporting her and giving her the courage to report James' crimes to the police in 2021. She said: "I have tried throughout the years to talk about what happened and to get help but Ive found this difficult. It is through friends and family that I've had the strength to talk to the police now. I have felt guilt over this as I never wanted to hurt anyone, but I decided that this deep pain must come to an end and speaking the truth out loud will help me finally start to heal."

Concluding her statement, she told the court how James had said "sorry" twice during phone calls, but never showed "any remorse or acknowledgement of the pain he made [her] endure".

She added: "You have always spoken with convincing words and it has been said many times what a good man you are. You convinced everyone around you to believe it. But now, finally, the truth of your total lack of morality, self-discipline and real love is evident for all who are here to see. Everything in your life has always come down to you having your own way and your sexual appetite being gratified. The boundaries that stop normal people crossing, you cross with ease."

Description

A former teacher sent pictures of his penis to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl, a court has heard. In fact Rhodri Jones was engaging in sexual conversations online with an undercover police officer.

Swansea Crown Court heard Jones' teaching career came to an end following concerns raised by parents about his "inappropriate behaviour" with girls which included flirting with a 16-year-old student and offering her private tuition. Sending the defendant to prison a judge told him he clearly had an "entrenched sexual interest in young women and children".

Sian Cutter, prosecuting, said on June 14, 2022, the defendant initiated contact with a profile on the social media platform Chatiw which purported to belong to a 12-year-old girl - in reality the profile was a decoy account being operated by an undercover police officer. The prosecutor said Jones and the decoy exchanged messages on the site before he gave the decoy his Snapchat details and the conversation moved to that app. The court heard that during the conversation Jones boasted to the "girl" about the size of his penis, and also sent her a number of pictures of his penis.

The following month officers went to the defendant's house and arrested him. Officers seized a number of electronic devices and also took a picture of the blankets on his bed, bedding which matched that seen in the background of the pictures he had sent the decoy. He subsequently answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview.

Rhodri Jones, 44, of Phoebe Road, Copper Quarter, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has a previous conviction from 2016 for sending indecent images to an 18-year-old girl. The court heard a series of concerns had been raised about Jones' conduct and "inappropriate behaviour" during his teaching career between 2003 and 2011 which included him harassing a pupil, offering to give a girl a lift in his car, and flirting with a 16-year-old girl and offering her private tuition.

Alycia Carpanini, for Jones, said the defendant was a binge drinker, and the offending happened when he was drunk. She said her client was a carer for his mother who was in ill-health, and that he works online for a university book publisher in an administration role. Jones had completed the Horizon sex offenders programme following his previous conviction, the court heard. The barrister also pointed to the delay in the case with the offending taking place in June 2022 and the matter not coming before the courts until January 2024.

Judge Daniel Williams told the defendant it was clear he had an "entrenched sexual interest in young women and girls", and said a pre-sentence report had concluded he posed a high risk of serious harm. He said he did not think there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in Jones' case, and said the offending was far too serious for any sentence other than one of immediate custody. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Jones was sentenced to 12 months in prison - he will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

Description

A man videoed himself sexually assaulting a woman, a court has heard. Dean Jones then told his victim that nobody else would want her after what he had done.

Swansea Crown Court heard the 34-year-old defendant's victim had been left suffering with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Dean Jones, of Mill Street, Tonyrefail, had previously been convicted at trial of sexual assault by penetration. He has previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol and public disorder.

Tim Evans, for Jones, said his client had given evidence at trial and the jury had made its decisions and as the defendant's barrister he could not go behind that. He said Jones wanted this to be the last time he appeared before any criminal court let alone a crown court.

Judge Catherine Richards sentenced Jones to 10 years in prison. He must serve two-thirds of that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Jones was made the subject of a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Description

Despite using a fake name on his Facebook page Barnard was identified by members of the vigilante groups who then turned up at his house before calling the police. The defendant's advocate told Swansea Crown Court that his client's life had been a "lonely one" and he had spent increasing amounts of time online.

Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, said the offending took place in November 2022 when the defendant, using the name William Stanley on Facebook, contacted the profiles of what appeared to be 14-year-old girls. She said profiles were actually decoy accounts being operated by adults acting as part of online paedophile hunter groups. The court heard Barnard started messaging the first profile and asked her whether she had a boyfriend and asked her if she had ever heard odd noises coming from her parents' bedroom. The pair then exchanged phone numbers and began communicating by text.

Later that month Barnard began messaging a second Facebook profile and his conversation with what he thought was another 14-year-old girl quickly turned sexual in nature. The court heard the defendant talked about masturbation with the girl and said he would teach the child how to do it. He also told her all men would want sex with her because she was "beautiful" but they couldn't because of her age and told her to keep their conversation secret.

The prosecutor said by December 1 the two groups behind the decoy profiles identified Barnard as the person behind the William Stanley Facebook page and turned up at his home address. Police were contacted and Barnard was arrested at 7.22pm that evening. In his subsequent interview the defendant answered "no comment" to all questions asked.

Andrew Barnard, now aged 56, of Brynmill Avenue, Brynmill, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child and to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Dan Griffiths, for Barnard, said it was acknowledged there was only one kind of sentence the court could impose and his mitigation went only to the length of the custodial sentence. He said Barnard experienced an "extremely difficult childhood" at the hands of his abusive father and at an early age was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He said Barnard's life had been a "lonely one" and he had spent increasing amounts of time online. The advocate said it was still to be explored whether the defendant's "adverse childhood experiences" were correlated to his offending but he said Barnard was anxious to take advantage of any help that professionals could provide.

Judge Geraint Walters told Barnard that the public have a "huge distaste" for the kind of behaviour he had engaged in. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Barnard was sentenced to 27 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. The defendant 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 to manage his access to the internet. Sending the defendant down the judge told him if he had been talking to real girls rather than decoys his sentence would have been "a great deal longer".

Description

A man who subjected a young girl to a decade of rapes and sexual assaults has been given an extended 16 year sentence. Henry Wilson began to abuse his victim when she was aged just five.

Swansea Crown Court heard details of the impact Wilson's offending has had on his victim, and police have praised the bravery of the female in coming forward to report what happened while acknowledging that no sentence can give the victim her childhood back.

Henry Steven Wilson, aged 59, of Matthew Street, Dyfatty, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape of a child, indecency, and indecent assault when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. His victim has life-long legal anonymity.

With a discount for his guilty plea Wilson was given a 16 year extended sentence as an "offender of particular concern" comprising 15 years in prison followed by a one-year extended licence period. The defendant must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released. Wilson will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children.

Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective constable Rebecca Williams, the officer in the case, said: "Henry Wilson’s crimes are appalling, disturbing, and upsetting. It is clear he poses a real and significant risk to children. I know that no sentence can make up for the devastating damage he has caused and give this brave victim their childhood back, but I really do hope that they can now start to rebuild their life knowing they are safe from their abuser.

"I would like to publicly praise the victim who has demonstrated a huge amount of dignity and incredible strength supporting this investigation. They should be proud of their courage which means that Henry Wilson is now behind bars for a significant amount of time."

Description

A man who pleaded guilty to filming a teenager undressing in a changing room has been spared jail.

Liam Warlow, 27, had attempted to record footage of the school girl with his phone under the divider of a cubicle in the unisex changing area of LC Swansea waterpark, south Wales, when she spotted the phone and kicked it from his hand, a court heard.

“Most people would expect me to send you to prison,” Judge Geraint Walters told him after he pleaded guilty to observing a private act for sexual gratification.

Warlow was given a six-month sentence suspended for two years on Dec 20. Judge Walters also ordered him to undertake a 43-day programme to address his issues around filming in public for sexual excitement and to attend 45 days of “general rehabilitation”.

CCTV footage shows Warlow loitering in the doorway of a cubicle in the changing rooms before the incident. He had finished getting dressed when he spotted the girl and then entered the cubicle next to her.

Warlow is then seen running out of the leisure centre after being discovered attempting to film the girl undressing.

He told police he had dropped his phone which had “managed to start recording by itself”, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Despite this Judge Walters said it was “perfectly obvious” what Warlow was doing.

He said: “Having set eyes upon her, you quite purposefully, and with a fair degree of determination, hung about in the changing area - including viewing her through a mirror at one stage - until she entered a cubicle.

‘The phone was plainly recording’

“You entered the adjoining cubicle, and while there you used your phone to film her. She said the phone was plainly recording and she could see herself on it.”

Upon his arrest, Warlow told the police he could not remember the code to access the “private area” of his phone, but the judge said his claim was not plausible.

Warlow has previous convictions for burglary and cannabis possession from 2013.

Judge Walters added: “Your conduct that day has, for a considerable period of time, blighted you. And it will.

“You will be on the sex offenders register. You’ve lost your partner, by the looks of it. No doubt in any future relationship you have, you will end up coming under the scrutiny of social services.”

Warlow will be placed on the sex offenders register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years.

Description

A paedophile who repeatedly breaks court orders designed to control his behaviour is back behind bars after secretly setting up a Facebook account. Ian Mitchell also took a picture of pre-pubescent girl in swimwear which he deleted from his phone – but not before police became aware of its presence thanks to remote monitoring of his device.

Swansea Crown Court heard Mitchell has a history of sexual offending stretching back almost 25 years which began with him sexually abusing a young girl and has gone on to see him being caught multiple times with indecent images and videos. He has even been caught reoffending in prison by collecting newspaper cuttings of pictures of young girls in nativity plays as well as collecting articles about notorious child murderers. Mitchell's barrister said her client acknowledges he has "urges" and wants help to deal with them.

Tom Scapens, prosecuting, said Mitchell was released from his last custodial sentence in August this year and registered with police and then on October 26 had "e-safe" monitoring software installed on his mobile which allows police to remotely monitor phone activity. The court heard that "within hours" of having the software activated at Swansea Central police station an "image of significant concern" appeared on the phone – namely a photograph of a pre-pubescent girl in a swimsuit. The following week police went to his flat in Swansea's High Street and examined the mobile. Officers saw the photo which they knew he had taken had since been deleted and they saw he had signed up to Facebook in breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

The defendant was arrested and in interview admitted taking the photograph of the girl saying he had found a sim card and when he plugged into his television the picture of the youngster had appeared on the screen. He said he took a picture of the image on the screen before "panicking" and wrapping the sim in tissue paper and flushing it down the toilet. He also said he didn't know he was not allowed to have a Facebook account.

Ian Spencer Mitchell, of High Street, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order by deleting a photograph and having a social media account when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. The court heard he has two different dates of birth recorded on the system and is aged either 59 or 61. Mitchell has 40 previous convictions for 123 offences.

The court heard the defendant's sexual offending began in 1999 when he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for gross indecency with a child. This offence had seen him sexually assaulting a girl and showing her a pornographic film while masturbating. He was placed on the sex offenders register but failed to tell police where he was living after his release from prison and was subsequently put on the wanted list. He was arrested in 2004 in a Jobcentre in possession of a bank card in a false name.

In 2005 Mitchell was given an extended sentence as a dangerous offender, comprising nine months in custody with an extended three-year licence, for making indecent photographs of a child and in 2011 was jailed again and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for making and possessing indecent images. The following year he was sentenced to three years in prison for once again making and possessing indecent images. Mitchell's offending continued upon his release from prison and in 2015 he was sentenced to 40 months in prison for engaging in online chats about sexual abuse and for distributing indecent images and videos including of Category A which covers the most serious kinds of child sexual abuse and rape.

While serving this sentence at HMP Channings Wood in Devon the defendant was found with a secret stash of newspaper cuttings of pictures of young girls in swimming costumes or in nativity plays – some of which he had stuck onto pictures of naked woman in a pornographic magazine. He also had a collection of newspaper clippings of stories about notorious child murder cases. All the items were found during a search of his cell. For this offending Mitchell was given a second extended sentence in 2017 comprising 12 months in prison followed by a three-year licence period.

The following year the defendant was given another extended sentence as a dangerous offender after police in Swansea found more than 4,000 indecent and prohibited pictures on his phone and in his iCloud storage account and found he had engaged in sexualised conversations on WhatsApp in which he pretended to be a girl aged 11 to 13. The passcode to his phone – "Little Girls ****" – reflected his interest in child sexual abuse . For making, possessing, and distributing indecent images and breaching a SHPO the defendant was sentenced to two years in prison with an extended three-year licence period. The court heard he breached the SHPO again in 2021 after buying an internet-enabled video games console. Mitchell initially lied to police claiming another resident of the hostel had given him the device but checks showed he had in fact purchased it from a Swansea city centre shop. The defendant was released from this final sentence on August 16 this year.

Nicola Powell, for Mitchell, said following his release from prison over the summer the defendant had elected to have "E-safe" software installed on his phone "because he wanted to be safe". She said while helping his partner to move house the defendant had come across a sim-type card which he put into his television to see what it contained and had then "foolishly" taken a photo of the picture on the screen. She said the image of the girl was not indecent but it was accepted that it was "an image of concern". The barrister said Mitchel had then deleted the photo from his phone "to try to prevent any further urges". Miss Powell said the defendant was "trying his best" to deal with the "urges" he has and wants help to do so.

Recorder Aidan Eardley KC said he had been told that the defendant acknowledges he has "serious problems" and has "urges he has difficulty resisting". He said there was no possibility of suspending the prison sentence that was due as Mitchell was "unable to abide by court orders" including breaching sexual harm prevention orders on no less than four previous occasions. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas the defendant was sentenced to 10 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. The sexual harm prevention order remains in place.

Description

A man was branded "sinister" for bringing a friend into the nightclub toilets where he had just carried out a sexual attack against a woman. Student Onyedika Oriaku also claimed the sex in the toilet cubicle had been consensual and that his victim had initiated contact. However, a jury saw through his lies and he was convicted at trial of rape.

Reporting from Swansea Crown Court, WalesOnline heard prosecutor Ian Wright tell the judge that the rape took place at the Fiction nightclub in Swansea city centre in March this year. Oriaku and a group of other sunglass-wearing males were in the so-called VIP area of the club, and during the evening the defendant and a woman had been kissing.

The woman, who was described as "heavily intoxicated", later went to the toilet and the defendant followed her. In the toilets, Oriaku raped the woman in one of the cubicles.

The court heard that after the assault the defendant returned to his friends in the VIP area and then he and one of the group went to the female toilets where they were told "in no uncertain terms" to leave by two women present. During the trial the defendant maintained he had returned to the toilets in order to check on the welfare of the women as she had been "exhausted" by having sex with him.

The rape was subsequently reported to the police. In an statement from the victim that was read to the court the woman described the significant impact the attack has had on her mental health and on her life generally, and she said she was now very distrusting of men.

Onyedika Benedict Oriaku, of Victoria Terrace in Brynmill, Swansea, had previously been convicted by a jury of one count of rape when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. James Hartson, defending Oriaku, said the defendant was a man of previously clean character who was a student in Swansea and had also been working in care sector.

Judge Geraint Walters told the defendant that, having watched CCTV footage from the club and having seen him giving evidence in the dock, he had come to conclusion that Oriaku "had a very high opinion of yourself, well beyond that which is deserved". He said while the woman may have been "disinhibited" by alcohol that did not give the defendant "the right to decide where it all ended", and he noted the student had then gone back to the friends and "gloated" about what he had done.

The judge described the defendant's account of why he returned to the toilets with another male as "fanciful beyond belief" and he described the return to the lavatories as "sinister". Judge Walters described that Oriaku did in the toilets as "truly shameful" and he noted he had shown no remorse for his actions.

Oriaku was sentenced to seven years in prison, and must serve two-thirds of that period before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Description

A serial sex offender openly engaged in "lewd and disgusting" behaviour in front of women in Swansea city centre, a court has heard. Richard Pugh performed a sex act in front of the females and "stared intently" at them as they walked to a car park after work.

Pugh has a long history of sexual offending including indecent assaults and exposure, and is currently subject to a sexual harm prevention order banning him from following women, entering female toilets, and approaching within five metres of a woman in any public car park. He was identified as carrying out his latest offending after plain-clothes police officers were deployed to the area and recognised him.

Sending the 47-year-old defendant back to prison a judge at Swansea Crown Court told him that not only had he demeaned the women involved in the incidents but had also demeaned himself as a man and as a human being.

Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, said that at around 6pm on August 10 this year two women were walking passed St David's Priory church hall in Swansea city centre en route to their parked cars when they saw a male - later identified as Pugh - sitting on the floor. As the pair passed they saw the defendant had his hand down his trousers and was masturbating while "staring intently" at them. The two women hurried in their way. The court heard that the next day one of the women was following the same route to her car when she saw Pugh again - he tried to speak to her but she ignored him and walked on.

The prosecutor said on August 14 the same woman was again walking passed the church at a little after 5pm when she Pugh once again with hands down his trousers masturbating and "mumbling". The matter was reported to the police and two police officers in plain clothes were sent to the area. They saw a man matching the defendant's description and identified him as Pugh. The court heard the defendant was arrested at his home address on August 16 and the following day the two women from the August 10 incident positively identified him. In his interview Pugh gave a prepared statement in which he denied the allegations.

Richard Barrie Pugh, aged 47, of The Strand, Swansea city centre, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of outraging public decency and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 19 previous convictions for 39 offences including multiple counts of indecent exposure with intent to insult any female, indecent assault, and sexual assault. He also has 12 previous breaches of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that was imposed in Mold Crown Court in 2016. The court heard that under the conditions of the SHPO he is prohibited from following women, entering female toilets, and approaching within five metres of a woman in any public car park.

Andrew Evans, for Pugh, said the best mitigation he could put forward was the defendant's guilty pleas. He said Pugh had been released from his last custodial sentence in June this year and placed in a hostel on The Strand in Swansea by the Probation Service. He said following his arrest the defendant was recalled back to prison to serve the remainder of the previously imposed custodial sentence and is not due to be released until 2026.

Judge Huw Rees told Pugh he had engaged in "lewd, disgusting and persistent behaviour" in the city centre, and he said by his behaviour the defendant had degraded other people and - though Pugh may be slow to realise it - had degraded himself as a man and as a human being. The judge said the sentence he was going to impose had to start immediately and would therefore run concurrently with the defendant's period on recall meaning the new sentence would not increase the length of time of Pugh's incarceration, a situation the judge said was, in his view, "unfortunate".

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Pugh was sentenced to 16 months in prison comprising eight months for the outraging public decency offences and 16 months for the breaches of the SHPO to run concurrently. The SHPO will continue and Pugh was put on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years. Pugh is already subject to an indefinite sexual registration.

Description

A man raped a vulnerable woman after pushing his way into her house at night, a court has heard. A judge said she believed Adrian Gravell was aware of his victim's vulnerabilities and had subjected her to "uncontrolled sexual violence" once through the front door.

Making the defendant subject to an extended sentence as a dangerous offender a judge said he had carried out a "swift and brutal" attack on the woman. And she said she had no doubt he had been sexually excited by the "dominance" he was exerting over his victim during the incident.

Swansea Crown Court heard the offending took place in March this year at an address in the Swansea area. The 45-year-old defendant exposed his penis to his victim before raping her. When he had finished attacking the woman, who is in her 60s, he told her they should keep the incident "to themselves". In a victim personal statement which was read to the court the woman said she did not know if she would ever fully recover from what happened. She said the rape had "changed me forever", adding: "This man and his attack on me has totally destroyed my life."

Adrian Paul Gravell, of Llys Gwyn Terrace, Pontarddulais, Swansea, had previously been convicted at trial of exposure and rape when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has previous convictions for three counts of exposure from 2006. Those offences involved him exposing his genitals to women from the cab of a van while working as a delivery driver. Ieuan Rees, for Gravell, said over the last 20 years the defendant had been a "reliable individual holding down a responsible job and behaving in the way responsible citizens do" and he said his client's wife was standing by him.

Judge Catherine Richards said Gravell had been aware of the victim's vulnerabilities and she told the defendant she had no doubt he had been "sexually excited by the dominance you were exerting of her". The judge noted his previous convictions for exposure were in 2006 but she said his "predatory behaviour had lain dominant" for several years before he carried out the "swift and brutal" attack on a lone woman in her own home. She said an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public. Gravell was given a 15-year extended sentence comprising 10 years in custody followed by a five-year licence period. He must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective constable Penny Romanello said: "This was a horrific sexual assault on a vulnerable woman, and no one should ever be made to feel unsafe or at risk in their own home. Adrian Gravell denied the offences however the evidence gathered by our team and crucially the account given by the victim meant the jury could see through his lies and found him guilty.

"The victim in this case showed real courage, not only in reporting him to police but throughout the investigation. I also want to commend her bravery and strength as her determination to see this through has ensured we were able to secure the conviction. I hope the sentencing encourages others who may have been the victim of sexual assault - or knows someone who has been a victim - to come forward and speak to our specialist teams. All reports will be treated seriously and with the sensitivity they deserve, and we will ensure you are provided with all available support."

Description

A "depraved sex offender" from Swansea who targeted scores of young children online has been sent to prison.

Police discovered more than 2,000 indecent images and videos of children on devices belonging to 20-year-old Caleb Courtman, some of which he had sourced directly from child victims he had groomed.

Courtman had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them after approaching them on social media platforms, and then bullied and blackmailed them into sending explicit images and into performing sex acts on camera.

Some of the children were as young as nine.

142 have been identified and safeguarded by South Wales Police but work is ongoing to identify all the children that Courtman contacted.

The court heard the police investigation showed that over the course of many months Courtman sent the children explicit photographs of himself and talked about them coming to his home in Swansea for sex.

He was given an extended 24-year sentence in a young offenders institution and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Dyfed Thomas, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court the offending came to light in December last year after police received information that indecent images had been uploaded to the internet via accounts linked to Courtman.

He was arrested and his phones and laptops were seized. He was released on bail.

The prosecutor said while on bail Courtman continued to offend, with his offending becoming "ever more insidious". He was arrested again in February this year.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said it was clear Courtman was a "deeply entrenched paedophile" who posed a "quite exceptionally high risk of serious harm" to young girls in the future.

Caleb Courtman, aged 20, of Davies Row, Treboeth, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to 35 offences of engaging in sexual communications with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of categories A, B, and C, distribution of an indecent image, voyeurism, and blackmail when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Another 98 offences were taken into consideration.
Jon Tarrant, for Courtman, said there was little mitigation he could put forward other than the age of the defendant and his guilty pleas, and he said he accepted an extended sentence was inevitable in the case.

Detective Constable Natalie Revers from South Wales Police said: "This has been a shocking and disturbing investigation and I would like to thank the families and children who have supported the police investigation and commend their bravery in speaking out.

"I would also like to thank others involved in the wider investigation for their hard work and assistance over the past seven months, and for their ongoing support.

“We urge anyone who believes they may have been victim of online sexual abuse to report it to police. They will be treated with dignity and compassion by our officers and the support services with whom we work closely.”

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A 25-year-old former primary school teaching assistant has been sentenced to over 18 years in prison for possession of indecent images of children and the sexual assault of a child under 13.

Tommy Lee Allington was arrested at his home in Penlan, Swansea, on April 28 and pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges at his pretrial hearing in Swansea Crown Court.

Today (Friday, September 1) he was jailed for 18 years and eight months, with six years on licence, and ordered to be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Detective Constable Amanda Jenkins, who investigated, said:

“Offences of this kind will always be shocking and disturbing, particularly when that person is in a position of trust.

“This will undoubtedly be difficult news for the local community but please be assured that our teams and partners have safeguarded and supported all those involved in the investigation.

“The victim’s family has shown incredible strength and courage throughout this case.”

Detective Inspector Sharon Gill-Lewis added:

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to us.

Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect.”

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A man sexually assaulted a young woman after following her home and entering her flat. Adem Mohammed had encountered his victim on the street and began talking to her as if he knew her.

He then followed her back to the flats where she lived in Swansea and stopped her from shutting him outside by holding the external door open. The 20-year-old followed the woman to her room and there began kissing her against her will, hugging her, and grabbing her bottom. The attacker left when his victim suffered a panic attack.

Swansea Crown Court heard the young woman was shaken up by the incident and, concerned for the safety of others in the block, alerted her neighbours to what had happened via WhatsApp before contacting police. Carina Hughes, for the prosecution, said the woman did not want to make a victim impact statement for the court to consider.

Detectives launched an investigation into the incident and CCTV was recovered that showed Mohammed's interaction with the woman on the street. Other footage showed him subsequently leaving the area on his cycle. The defendant was identified and arrested, and in interview said he had been looking for girlfriend and had approached the young woman asking for her help. He claimed the woman had invited him back to her flat so he could use the internet, and said she began kissing him - kisses he said he rejected.

Adem Mohammed, of no fixed abode, had previously been convicted at trial of sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

Hilary Roberts, for Mohammed, said his client was disappointed at the conclusions of the pre-sentence report and said it may be that some of the meaning of what he had said had been in lost in translation as the interpreter present had spoken a different dialect to the defendant. He said his client had apologised for the upset he had caused and admitted he had "made a great mistake". The barrister claimed that cultural differences between the woman and the defendant - who he said was granted refugee status in the UK in 2021 - may have played its part. Mr Roberts invited the court to find there was little planning to the incident, and it was opportunistic in nature.

Judge Catherine Richards said Mohammed had engaged the woman in conversation and had attempted to persuade her that they knew each other before following her home. She said he had then entered her accommodation despite the woman telling him he was not welcome. Mohammed was sentenced to 21 months detention in a young offenders institution - he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.

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A man who pretended he had post-traumatic stress disorder punched a woman to the face and sexually assaulted her in a Swansea hotel. James Davies attended the Grand Hotel with a woman on August 19, 2022, and they had consensual sex together, however the victim fell asleep, and woke to see Davies, who had taken cocaine that evening, pacing the floor in an aggressive state.

Swansea Crown Court heard how his face changed and and he began to talk in an Irish accent, something she believed was a result of his account that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. The court heard he told the victim how he had served in the RAF and had witnessed a friend being blown up in front of him, resulting in him suffering from PTSD, but whilst police carried out inquiries into the matter, they found that account was false.

The 36-year-old then punched the victim to the face and made threats, whilst making her perform an oral sex act on him, despite her protests for him to stop. The court was told he also urinated on her. The matter was reported to police who attended the hotel and spoke to the victim. She was taken to Morriston Hospital for treatment for her injuries - which included a swollen face, eye and jaw.

A victim impact statement was read to the court which heard as a result of her ordeal. She said: "I hope you can live with what you did to me, and always remember I am now happy and healthy with amazing support around me. I will have to live with the flashbacks but I will always be reminded of the strong courageous woman I am becoming."

Davies, of no fixed abode, appeared at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing having pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, two counts of ABH, two counts of rape, and assault by penetration.

Robin Rouch, for Davies, said: "There has been a fairly healthy period of reflection over the last year. It is going to be a healthy sentence regardless. This is his first custodial sentence and he is on a list for counselling and has asked to see a psychiatrist."

Judge Geraint Walters, sentencing Davies, described his acts as "nothing less than psychotic" and said the matter was a "terrifying incident". Davies must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and a restraining order has been placed on him preventing contact with his victim for life. He was jailed for 11 years.

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A man was found in possession of more than 1,000 images of child abuse and extreme pornography. Children as young as one-year-old were depicted in the sickening images.

Mark Whitelock, 41, was visited by police at his home in Swansea on April 30 last year after they received intelligence relating to indecent images of children being downloaded. A number of electronic devices were seized including a Samsung phone.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard the phone was found to contain 311 category A images, 181 category B images and 439 category C images. A total of 239 extreme pornographic images, involving animals such as dogs and horses were also recovered.

Prosecutor Andrew Davies said the images depicted penetrative acts carried by adults on children as young as two-years-old. Search terms made by the defendant showed were indicative of his sexual interest in children and animals.

The images were found to have been downloaded between October 2020 and April 2022, but searches for indecent content dated back as far as 2001. The defendant had also used software which automatically deleted his browsing history.

Whitelock, of Heol Penfelyn, Cwmrhydyceirw, was arrested and made no reply to questions. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and one count of possessing extreme images. The court heard he had no previous convictions.

In mitigation, Tabitha Walker said her client had referred himself to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Stop SO, and had received counselling as well as joining Sex Addicts Anonymous. She said the defendant's offences stemmed from his addiction to pornography.

The barrister said Whitelock's "overwhelming concern is for his own children and family". She added: "He knows this is not a victimless crime and he has great shame for what he has viewed. He has depressive disorder and has made five suicide attempts.... He hates himself for what he has done."

The Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke sentenced Whitelock to one year and eight months imprisonment. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.