Latest Offenders Swansea

Description

A man subjected a vulnerable young girl to a campaign of rape and sexual assaults lasting years.

The abuse started when the victim was aged just four or five, and continued until she was in her teens.

A judge labelled Andre Simpson a "very twisted individual" who had shown no remorse for what he had done, and also had put the girl through the ordeal of a trial.

The 54-year-old defendant subjected the girl a repeated rapes and assaults. Some of the offending happened more than 20 years but the abuse was not reported to the police at the time.

Simpson denied the offending but was convicted at trial at Swansea Crown Court.

In an impact statement which was read to court by prosecution barrister Robin Rouch, the victim said she effectively did not have a childhood because of what Simpson did to her, and the abuse left her struggling to trust people and being wary of older men. She said she still suffers from flashbacks and nightmares.

And she described the abuse as "the skeleton in the closet" that she had felt unable to report for so many years, adding that she hoped that by coming forward now and making a complaint to the police she had saved other children from suffering the same fate at the hands of the defendant.

As a victim of sexual offences, the woman has life-long legal anonymity.

Simpson, of Bronwydd, Birchgrove, Swansea, had previously been convicted of 18 counts of rape, indecent assault, sexual assault, indecency with a child, and possessing indecent images of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Judge Paul Thomas QC said Simpson had carried out a "campaign" of sexual abuse against his victim, and he told the defendant he was a "very twisted individual" who "satisfied your sexual lust at her expense" without giving any consideration to the emotional and physical harm he was causing.

The judge said the defendant would not, of course, be additionally punished for taking the matter to trial but he called the way he ran his defence - instructing his barrister to repeatedly accuse his young victim of being a cynical liar - "particularly distasteful". The judge also noted that during the trial Simpson called into the question the ability and fairness of the police officer who had investigated the case, and sought to blame his sons for the presence of the indecent images found on his laptop, adding it seemed he was prepared to blame anyone in order to try to save his own skin.

Simpson was sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison, with an extended one year licence period. The defendant will serve two-thirds of that period before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Simpson will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A serial paedophile with a history of online sexual offending was caught with a secret tablet computer in his room, a court has heard.

Another resident at the hostel where Aithan Jones was living had sold him the device, which he had not told the police about.

The 25-year-old has a history of trying to sexually groom children online and of breaching court orders designed to try to manage his behaviour.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court told the defendant that if he continued offending he was likely to be classified as a dangerous offender and would face significantly longer sentences.

Hannah George, prosecuting, said in 2020 Jones was found to be breaching a sexual harm prevention order by using a number of Facebook profiles to contact a young boy and by attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison at Cardiff Crown Court and upon his release was sent to live in an approved hostel in Swansea.

The court heard that on June 7 this year a search was made of Jones' room which uncovered a tablet device he had not informed the police about. The court heard that another resident at the hostel had sold it to him for 60 though was yet to receive payment for it. The tablet had a sim card in it and was internet-enabled.

Aithan Philip Jones, of The Strand, Swansea, admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO. He has four previous convictions for 10 offences five of which are sexual offences.

Judge Geraint Walters said only a sentence of immediate custody was appropriate. He said in his view the last sentence Jones had been given was too lenient and in his view should have been twice the length. He warned the defendant that if he continued offending the time would come when he would be classified as a dangerous offender.

Giving the defendant the required one-third discount for his guilty plea the judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison for breaching the SHPO. Jones would ordinarily serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community however the court heard he has been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of the 22-month sentence imposed in 2020 and is not not be released from that term until May 2022. The judge said he did not have the power to make the new sentence run consecutively with the existing term of imprisonment, meaning the new sentence will not prolong Jones' period behind bars.

Description

An online sex offender was caught with a smartphone and software designed to hide his internet history, a court has heard.

Craig Lloyd was handed a suspended prison sentence in 2019 for attempting to incite what he thought was a 12-year-old to engage in sexual activity. As part of his sentence he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order to control his access to the internet including a requirement he must declare any phones he owed to the police.

Hannah George, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that in May this year police officers monitoring the defendant in the community made an unannounced visit to his home. The officers quizzed him about any electronic devices he had and he admitted he had a Samsung phone which he had bought the previous year and which he had not notified them about. Police carried out a search and also recovered a USB memory stick.

Lloyd was arrested and cautioned and told officers "there might be some stuff" on the phone as he had been involved in online chats. An examination of the Samsung found it had software which deleted the internet search history and it also had pictures of children albeit images of fully clothed youngsters and not indecent images.

In his interview the 37-year-old admitted buying the phone from eBay the previous October and not declaring it and said he used it look at pornography.

Craig Anthony Lloyd, of Neath Road, Hafod, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he appeared in the dock via videolink from prison for sentencing. In 2019 he was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 24 months for attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. This case involved decoy social media accounts rather than real girls.

Matt Murphy, for Lloyd, said the offence was one "born out of temptation" but that Lloyd hadn't been using the phone "to engage in communications with people he should not". The advocate said the defendant had been working with probation while on the suspended sentence but "further intervention" was required.

Judge Geraint Walters told Lloyd he had been fortunate to avoid immediate prison in 2019 and had he been sentenced under the current Court of Appeal authority he would not have received a suspended sentence, which he said was the defendant's "lucky break".

However having been given a chance the judge said the defendant went on to commit a "wilful and flagrant" breach of the sexual harm prevention order, which showed "a measure of deviousness" on Lloyd's part. He said it was clear the defendant had learned nothing.

Giving Lloyd the required one-third discount for his guilty plea the judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison for the breach and he activated eight months of the previously-imposed suspended sentence to run consecutively making an overall sentence of 20 months in prison. Lloyd will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence.

The sexual harm prevention order remains in place.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted 18 women and girls in Swansea parks has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Oliver Smith, 27, rode around a popular Swansea park and nearby street on his bicycle wearing black or dark clothing with a hood pulled over his head causing "widespread terror", randomly touching women and girls.

Swansea Crown Court heard that he told police "he gets angry about females wearing Lycra". His 18 victims ranged in age from 12 to 45, and included lone joggers, university students, and mothers playing with their young children. A judge said he had no doubt the defendant was a dangerous offender, but said he was not able to make him subject to an extended sentence for public protection.

Swansea Crown Court heard most of the attacks took place around Swansea's Singleton and Brynmill parks, and nearby streets as well as the seafront prom.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said over the course of February 12 and 13 this year Smith attacked a series of women. He said Smith approached women from behind and "forcefully" grabbed their buttocks before riding off.

He said some of the victims were students heading for the nearby university, some were lone joggers, some were mothers who had taken their children to the park, and some were women out walking with friends enjoying some exercise in lockdown.

He said: "The offences were committed during lockdown and when the victims were taking permitted exercise or essential business, such as going to work or the shop.

"The fact they were assaulted at that time when there were heightened concerns regarding coronavirus and social distancing only served to increase the stress and fear that they felt at the time.

"The attacks that weekend received significant media publicity and these sexual assaults committed in public places, seemingly random attacks against women and girls, brought widespread fear and anger amongst females in Swansea."

He added: "He told police he gets angry about females wearing Lycra. He claimed he targeted females who had short jackets on and whose bottoms were visible. In his view it wasn't fair that men had to see that.

"He said he felt bad seeing some of his victims crying and felt that all females dressed to entice men."

Mr Pulling said one victim, a jogger, was assaulted twice within a short time - Smith first grabbed her bottom as she ran through Brynmill Park, and then again a few minutes later as she ran home through Singleton Park.

The court heard the defendant also sexually assaulted girls - one aged just 12 - in Bishopston on February 13, and tried to attack a 45-year-old woman walking home from the Bishopston Co-op store.

Police launched an investigation into the assaults, and on February 13 put out a press release to the media which included a CCTV image of a man on a bicycle they wanted to trace. A number of members of the public came forward with information, and these leads led police to an address on Sandy Lane in Parkmill on Gower, and to a converted garden shed where the defendant was living.

Mr Pulling said Smith initially denied carrying out the assault but later made admissions. He told officers he though it was "not fair" for women to "dress to entice men".

He added he masturbated every day, something which he says he found "exhausting", and that if he touched women he found he no longer needed to do that.

The court heard he also told police he had carried out other sexual assaults.

The court heard the attacks had left the victims feeling anxious, shocked, scared to go out, and "violated".

Oliver James Smith, of Glandrydan Avenue, Uplands, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to 11 counts of sexual sexual assault by touching - including one on a girl under 13 - and one count of attempted sexual assault. He asked for another seven sexual assaults to be taken into consideration. In total there were 18 victims.

Gerard Cullen, for Smith, said it was apparent from a number of conferences he had held with his client that the defendant demonstrated "very bizarre ideology and thinking". He said Smith "suffers from very rigid thinking, very off ideas about how females should dress in public".

The advocate said the defendant's mother had been concerned about her son's mental health and his interest in conspiracy theories for a considerable length of time, and had encouraged him to get help - but Smith had refused to co-operate.

Judge Geraint Walters said Smith had carried out what could only be described as a "campaign" of sexual offending.

"It really has to be described as a campaign of sexual offending, which caused widespread terror at the time to women in and around the Swansea area," he said.

He said he agreed with a pre-sentence report that Smith was a dangerous offender but the nature of the sentence he was able to impose did not allow him to pass an extended sentence.

Giving the defendant a one-third discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced the defendant to three years in prison for each offence, the sentences to all run concurrently making an overall sentence of three years. Smith 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 rest of his life.

Speaking after sentence South Wales Police detective inspector Gareth Jones said: "Oliver Smith's offending has caused his victims significant fear and distress, and I hope this sentencing brings them some comfort and shoes the seriousness of his actions.

"Everyone has the right to go about their life without being harassed or assaulted.

"I praise these women and teenagers for coming forward and speaking to police. South Wales Police will not tolerate sexual abuse in any form, and we will do all we can do to bring perpetrators to justice."

Description

A former teaching assistant downloaded and saved thousands of images of child sex abuse, a court has heard.

Police found more than 5,000 indecent pictures and films on Iestyn Thomas' laptops and mobile phone, and in an online storage account he had.

Officers also found he had visited a Russian website which hosted such material some 38,000 times.

Swansea Crown Court heard the 51-year-old had used a laptop which was shared by other members of his family for some of his activities - potentially dragging wholly innocent people into the police investigaiton.

Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, said the offending came to light when police executed a search warrant at Thomas' house in Bonymaen, Swansea, early on the morning of March 4 last year.

He said officers seized the defendant's Huawei mobile phone, and Acer and HP laptops.

An examination of the devices and of a linked DropBox online account revealed a total of 5,300 pictures and films showing the sexual abuse of children. Some 774 of these were so-called Category A images, the most explicit kind. The examination also found 24 prohibited images of children, and 34 pictures and movies featuring animals classed as extreme pornography.

Mr Rees said the creation dates on the files reached back to at least 2015.

The court heard investigators also found Thomas had used internet search terms linked to child pornography, and had visited a Russian website which hosted images of child sex abuse around 38,000 times.

The prosecutor said it appeared from profiles on one of the laptops involved that it was a shared machine used by at least two other people in the family.

Thomas, of Cardigan Crescent, Bonymaen, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making - downloading - indecent images of Category A, B, and C, and to possessing prohibited images and extreme pornographic images when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has no previous convictions.

Andrew Evans, for Thomas, said while not an excuse for the offending, the defendant had been suffering from anxiety and stress for some time and had become, in effect, "addicted" to pornography and to indecent images.

He said letters from family members and friends submitted to the court spoke highly of his client, and said there had never been any cause for concern about his behaviour during the course of his work with vulnerable people.

The advocate said Thomas had sought help from the Lucy Faithful Foundation - an organisation which seeks to tackle sex offending - and referred himself to counselling.

Description

A paedophile groomed a vulnerable young boy and subjected him to rapes and repeated sexual assaults.

Jason Evans would ply the child with gifts including sweets, toys, and rugby boots, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Evans subjected the boy, who was under 12 at the time, to repeated sexual assaults and rapes with the offences taking place in the 2000s.

The child did not feel able to report the abuse at the time and it is only in recent years now he himself is a father that he went to the police.

Prosecutor John Hipkin QC read a statement from the victim in which he described the impact the abuse has had on him.

He said the sexual assaults made him an aggressive boy who got into trouble at school and he eventually left education with no qualifications. He said he went on to abuse drink and drugs, was not able to control his emotions, and ended up in trouble with the police.

The man said he still suffers flashbacks to the abuse, has regular suicidal thoughts, and has found it hard to hold down jobs but he said his family have helped him through the "dark times".

He added: "I hope Jason Evans being found guilty will be the start of my recovery but my life will never the same, it will always live with me... I hope it will be the first step in me getting on with my life."

Evans, aged 45, of Morfydd Street, Morriston, Swansea, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and two of rape following a trial.

Stephen Rees, for Evans, said the defendant maintained his innocence but the court would no doubt be trying to fathom why he had offended in the way he had during the period in question offending he had not carried out before or since.

He said his client had led an industrious life and since the offending had gone on to form a stable relationship and become a father.

Recorder Mark Powell QC told Evans he had taken advantage of his vulnerable victim to satisfy his "perverted desires" to have sex with a young boy.

He said the defendant had "destroyed" the boy's formative years and "took away his youth" and the impact the abuse had had was clear not just from the statement read to court but from the victim himself as he stood in the dock in a distressed state giving evidence during the trial.

The recorder said it was right Evans should be considered an offender of particular concern and be given an extended sentence as a result.

Evans was given a 13-year extended sentence comprising 12 years in custody and an extended one-year licence period. The defendant can apply for release at the two-thirds point of the custodial element but it will be for the Parole Board to decide if he is safe to be released. The defendant was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children and will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective inspector Carl Price said: "Reporting rape or a serious sexual offence is big decision to make but victims welfare is our priority. Don't forget both men and women can be offenders and victims of sexual assault.

"South Wales Police is committed to investigating such offences in order to help victims move their lives forward and bring offenders to justice.

"If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted we encourage you to report it to us so you can get the support you need."

Description

A paedophile has been caught for a third time with indecent images, a court has heard.

When police searched his house they also found a "doll-sized sex doll" which the defendant said he used while watching pornography.

David Richard Mansel William Lee Smith was handed a suspended sentence on his last court appearance but sending him down for his new offending a judge said there was "no prospect" of rehabilitation in his case.

Swansea Crown Court heard police went to Smith's home in Port Talbot in October last year home following information received from a so-called paedophile hunter group.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said the defendant was arrested on allegations of child grooming and was told to hand over his internet-enabled devices. He gave officers a phone, laptop, and PlayStation games console.

A subsequent search of the property showed the 26-year-old was using a bedroom for the production of cannabis and had installed a growing tent, a drying tent, lamps, filters, and a hydroponic feeding system. Five living plants and another three which had been harvested were recovered. The barrister characterised it as a "relatively small" set-up but one which showed "a degree of knowledge".

The court heard the police also found a "doll-sized sex doll" at the property.

Mr Pulling said the following day an officer returned to the defendant's home to dismantle the cannabis tents and equipment and while he was in the bedroom heard a phone ringing. Following the ringtone he went to the window in the room and found another phone, which Smith had not disclosed, had been put on the far end of the external window sill.

An examination of the phone showed two films of child abuse hidden in a folder. One, more than six minutes long, showed a toddler aged between two and four being raped.

In his subsequent interview Smith said he had learned how to grow cannabis by watching videos online and had spent around 1,000 on the equipment and another 60 on seeds. He said he used the crop to make cannabis cakes which he used to treat his "low mood" and his "lack of focus". The defendant told officers he used the sex doll while watching online pornography.

Smith, of Vivian Park Drive, Sandfields, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an indecent image and one count of producing cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard that in 2017 he was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for two years and ordered to complete a rehabilitation course after police twice found indecent images on his phone once in 2016 and then again in 2017 while being investigated for the first matter. Officers also found he had taken part in Skype video chats with other people where they had discussed the sexual abuse of children.

Robert Chudleigh, for Smith, said the defendant accepted a custodial sentence was inevitable and said the mitigation he was putting before the court would go only to length. He said the defendant had ongoing issues with anxiety and depression and "does not do much socially" but wants to rehabilitate himself and to "better himself".

Judge Paul Thomas QC said it was concerning that Smith had now been found in possession of indecent material on three separate occasions. He said that given the defendant's offending history he had come to conclusion that there was "no prospect of rehabilitation" in his case and that a sentence of immediate custody was necessary.

Giving the defendant credit for his guilty pleas a quarter for the indecent images charges and a third for the cannabis charge the judge sentenced him to a total of nine months in prison. Smith 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 on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order to control his access to the internet for the same length of time.

Sending the defendant down, Judge Thomas warned him: "If you come back before a court again for a similar kind of offending you will be going to prison for a very long time. Do you understand?"

The court heard that though Smith was charged with a grooming offence following the involvement of the paedophile hunter group in October last year the matter was later discontinued.

Description

Sex offender who is banned from all multi-storey car parks jailed for breaching court order

A sex offender who is banned from going into any multi-storey car park has been jailed after being seen entering one with a can of petrol, a court has heard.

Jonathan Michael Jones has a lifelong ban from entering any covered car park after sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy who was waiting for his mum in one.

When a witness who knew the defendant saw him walking into a Swansea city centre multi-storey he called the police saying he thought Jones was going to sniff the petrol he was carrying in a container.

Swansea Crown Court heard that in 2005 Jones was jailed for 42 months and made the subject of an indefinite sexual offences protection order after he abused a young boy.

Helen Randall, prosecuting, said on that occasion the defendant had approached a 12-year-old boy who was waiting for his mother in a multi-storey car park and pushed him into a lift where he put his hands down the youngster's trousers and kissed him.

As well as being sent to prison Jones was made the subject of a sexual offences protection order with a number of conditions including one prohibiting him entering any covered car park and one banning him from seeking contact with or associating with males under the age of 18.

The court heard Jones came to the attention of police in May 2019 following allegations he had sexually assaulted a teenager. No action was ultimately taken but Jones admitted he had been in the company of a 17-year-old boy and a number of other men at his home address on the day in question and they had all been drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis.

The 36-year-old came to the attention of police in Swansea again on November 24 of the same year when a man who knew him saw him entering the multi-storey car park that links The Strand and High Street railway station while carrying a can of petrol. The witness believing Jones had gone to sniff the petrol called 999. When arrested Jones told officers he used the car park as a shortcut to get to his nephew's house.

Jones, of Woodford Road, Blaenymaes, Swansea, admitted two counts of breaching a sexual offences protection order. The court heard he has 14 previous convictions for 26 offences including the sexual assault on the 12-year-old boy.

David Singh, for Jones, said the defendant claimed he was taking the can of petrol to his brother whose car had run out of fuel. He added that his client had been diagnosed with mild learning difficulties.

Judge Paul Thomas QC described the breaches of the order as "flagrant" and said Jones had done things he knew he was not allowed to do.

Giving the defendant credit for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced him to a total of 12 months in prison comprising 10 months for the contact with the teenager and two months for entering the car park. The defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Description

A paedophile is back behind bars for sexually abusing young girls just months after being released from his previous sentence.

Graham Harry John Rogers' new victim came forward after reading about him in the papers - and during the course of their investigation police also found a second new victim.

Swansea Crown Court heard the first new victim had reported the assault to the authorities at the time of the abuse - more than 20 years ago - but the Crown Prosecution Service had decided not to charge Rogers because of a lack of corroborating evidence, something that "perhaps reflects the approach at the time".

Sending him down, a judge told the 66-year-old defendant he had "selfish, degenerate and deviant sexual needs", and only a sentence of immediate custody was appropriate.

Jim Davis, prosecuting, said in May 2018 Rogers was sentenced to four years sexually assaulting a young girl, and taking pictures of the abuse on his phone.

After reading about the defendant in the press, a woman abused by the defendant when she was a teenager went to police and asked them to look again at what had happened to her.

The court heard Rogers had touched the then-girl's genitals over her clothing, and "gouged" her with his thumb leaving her privates bruised and cut.

In the course of re-investigating that complaint, officers found another girl he had also abused - this offence had seen Rogers touching the breasts of a girl aged six or seven.

Mr Davis said the first victim had reported the incident to her mother and then to the police, but the prosecuting authorities decided there was no realistic prospect of conviction without corroborating evidence, something that "perhaps reflects the approach at the time".

In their impact statements which were read to court, the victims described how the abuse they had suffered had robbed them of their childhoods and blighted their whole lives, leaving them withdrawn, troubled, and distrustful of men.

Rogers, of Tirgof, Llangennech,  Llanelli, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Stephen Rees, for Rogers, said his client knew what life in prison was like having recently served a substantial sentence imposed in 2018, and had come to court with his bags packed in readiness for a return.

But the barrister asked the judge to consider taking the "exceptional step" of imposing a more "constructive" sentence which would allow the defendant to complete a sex offenders course in the community, adding that Rogers "recognises he has a problem that needs to be treated".

Judge Huw Rees said it was clear Rogers had an "enduring sexual interest in children", and had "selfish, degenerate and deviate sexual needs". He said the defendant had "slyly" taken his opportunities to abuse the girls, actions which display the hallmarks of a paedophile.

The judge said he had listened carefully to submissions made on the defendant's behalf but the offending was so serious only immediate custody was appropriate.

Giving Rogers credit for his guilty pleas he sentenced him to a total of five-and-a-half years in prison. The defendant will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Rogers will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Description

Primary School caretaker, caught in possession of two phones and up to 400 images of under age girls getting sexually abused. 

Carl Short, who ran chat groups where he shared some images, initially claimed he had been acting as a paedophile hunter – something a judge described as “absurd”.

Dad-of-three Short, 36, was arrested in the grounds of Pennard Primary School in Swansea by officers from the South Wales Police online investigation team last July. They visited him after finding an indecent image of a child had been uploaded to a social networking website which linked back to his mobile phone number.

Swansea Crown Court heard when he was arrested Short told officers: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He was asked to hand over his mobile phone to officers and he gave them a Samsung model with a yellow case.

He then asked officers to allow him to lock up an interior office within the school but was told he would need to be escorted to do so. The court heard he did not volunteer a second mobile phone to officers – a black Samsung model which he had kept in his pocket.

On the way to Swansea Central police station Short was asked if he understood why he was being arrested and replied: “I have tried entrapping people.”

He also told officers: “I don’t understand what is happening here.”

The mobile phone which Short did not initially hand over was found to have a significant number of indecent images of children on it.

There was a total of 15 Category A images – the most serious type – along with 36 in Category B and 342 in Category C.

Further investigations found how 19 of the images had been distributed through messaging app Kik between May and June last year. Within the app he had created chat groups under the aliases Taz and The Real Duff Man. The groups had named such as ‘Candid teen’, ‘Schoolgirls’, and ‘Teen share’, each which had between 40 and 50 members.

In addition to evidence of distributing material there were several conversations with other members where by they would discuss age preference.

Cleaning software was also installed on Short’s mobile phone.

During his police interview Short, of Stepney Street in Cwmbwrla, Swansea, accepted he was admin of the groups and maintained that he had set them up with a view of trapping others.

He admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children and three counts of distributing indecent images of children.

Mitigating, Vince Williams said: “Mr Short does now accept that he has a sexual interest in young girls. He became deeply immersed and that progressed into setting up Kik accounts and having conversations and image-sharing with others.

“There is a certain amount of naivete in accepting how serious these matters are and in particular to the distribution of these images.

“He set up chat accounts to feed his appetite. I have explained to him these are serious matters and now there is a realisation that this is a serious matter.

Sentencing Short, Recorder John Philpotts said: “On July 4 last year police officers arrested you at your workplace, which I’m concerned to know was a primary school.

“They did so because they were informed that an indecent image had been uploaded to Instagram and linked to you. You handed over one phone to police and you said it was your personal phone. You wanted to telephone your wife and needed to extract her number from what you said was your work phone and then it became clear it was really your personal phone.

“They found indecent images on this phone and there was a data cleaning programme. You were not naive – that’s why you had that on your phone.

“You told officers you were trying to entrap people. You have now sensibly abandoned what some would call an absurd account.”

Short was jailed for two years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order. He has been disqualified from working with children indefinitely.

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Youth group volunteer Aaron Davies said he wanted to show the 13-year-old girl how babies are made

A 19-year-old steward sent hundreds of explicit sexual messages and intimate photographs to what he thought was a young girl.

Aaron Davies contacted what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and after weeks of grooming her they arranged to meet.

But when he got to the bus station expecting to meet his online contact he was challenged and detained by a group of so-called paedophile hunters.

Swansea Crown Court heard a group called Justice 4 Kids established a profile purporting to be that of a 13-year-old girl, complete with an age-appropriate photograph, online.

Claire Pickthall, prosecuting, said the profile lay dormant until in February this year when Davies sent a friend request. This was the start of almost two months of communications between the parties.

The barrister said Davies' messages soon became sexual in nature with the defendant asking intimate questions of the decoy, encouraging her to perform sex acts, and asking her to send pictrues. Davies, from Swansea , also sent the decoy two pictures of his genitals.

The court heard Davies told the "girl" she should watch pornography so she could learn what to do sexually, told her he loved her, and said he wanted to go to Disneyland Paris with her. He also said he wanted to kiss and touch her and show her how babies are made.

The prosecutor said in many of the replies by the decoy it was made clear the profile was that of a 13-year-old.

In total the defendant sent more than 200 messages. Miss Pickthall described Davies' conduct as "classic grooming behaviour".

The court heard the pair made arrangements to go to the cinema in Swansea on April 18 and at that point Justice 4 Kids contacted local paedophile hunters and handed them the information.

When the defendant arrived at the city's main bus station expecting to meet the girl he was met by activists who called the police and took him outside.

In his subsequent interview he said he was used to being around children because he was a steward at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea and also volunteered with a youth group.

He said his aim had been to "educate and guide" the girl about what was coming as she grew up.

Davies, of Heol Eifion Wyn, Llansamlet , had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl after sexual communication and attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing on Friday. He has no previous convictions.

Stephen Thomas, for Davies, said his client was very sorry for what he had done.

Giving Davies a one-third discount for his guilty pleas judge Keith Thomas sentenced the defendant to a total of 12 months detention in a young offenders institution. He will serve half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Davies was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to control his contact with children and his access to the internet and he will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time.

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'Wholly unrepentant' abuser Brian Andrew Rhys has been handed a 30-year sentence

A man with a lust for young boys raped two youngsters after grooming them and showering them with gifts.

Brian Andrew Rhys was convicted by a jury of 11 counts of indecency with a child, five counts of indecent assault of a male, five counts of a serious sexual assault, 12 counts of rape of a child under 13, a count of a sexual assault of a child under 13, and one count of witness intimidation.

The offending involved two young boys dating between 1982 and 2018.

Swansea Crown Court heard how manipulative and arrogant Rhys, 53, had groomed them and showered them with gifts before raping them.

One victim impact statement read: I have had to carry this deep dark secret since being abused during childhood for more than 30 years. It is a heavy burden to bear and has affected my life and my mental health.

Despite all that I know when he is convicted it brings a new chapter in my life. I will now look forward instead of back. The secret is a secret no more.

A statement from his other victim read: When I was told by my mother the defendant had been convicted I felt very happy and slept well that night. It was the best I had slept since I can remember.

"What he did affected my confidence and my schooling and caused stress and anxiety. I feel absolutely terrible about the things he did to me.

Sentencing Rhys, Judge Paul Thomas QC said: "Over a period of around 30 years you systematically and calculatedly sexually violated two young boys.

"In each case you used the trust placed in you to look after them to allow you to your wicked ends using grooming behaviour and showering them with gifts. You took steps to get each of them on their own and raped them over a long period of time.

"It is clear from watching you give evidence you are wholly unrepentant. You will maintain your innocence for the purposes of your family. You're manipulative and arrogant and believed in your ability to pull the wool over people's eyes.

"Your sexual tastes are deep-rooted. You clearly have a lust for young boys."

Rhys, of of Banwell Street in Morriston, Swansea, was given a 30-year extended sentence comprising 24 years in prison and further a six years on extended licence. A sexual harm prevention order was made and he must sign the sex offenders register.

Following the sentencing detective constable Joanne Pudner, who was praised by the judge for her role in the investigation at the conclusion of the case, said: We would like to praise the bravery of the victims for coming forward.

Investigating sexual violence is a priority for South Wales Police and we are committed to investigating all reports of sexual abuse, regardless of when they occurred, in order to ensure that those who exploit the most vulnerable members of society are brought to justice.

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A businessman and former taxi driver raped a girl dozens of times over two years.

Vincent Matthews groomed his victim, who was under the age of 13, into thinking she was in a relationship with him.

But instead the former director of Morriston RFC was abusing his victim.

The 56-year-old, of Cwrt Cilmeri in Morriston, pleaded guilty to six counts of raping a girl under 13 and two counts of attempted sexual assault.

Swansea Crown Court was told the actual number of offences was estimated to be "dozens".

John Hipkin, prosecuting, told the court Matthews' grooming had "succeeded in making her (the girl) believe she was in a relationship with him."

He added: "He began by squeezing her leg and kissing and cuddling.

"She did not know about or understand anything sexual, but this proceeded to taking her upstairs to a bedroom, paying her compliments, suggesting she take a bath, and proceeded to having sexual intercourse with her.

"She mentioned pinning her arms down to achieve the act, but it is emphasised by the Crown this case is one of extensive grooming.

"He would put a blanket over her mouth to prevent her screaming. He told her not to tell anyone what they were doing."

Susan Ferrier, defending Matthews, said: "It is clear he is somebody who does need help and by pleading guilty he is making himself available to whatever help is available during what he accepts will be a long sentence.

"He apologises not just to you (the judge) but to the victim and her family and his family. He has lost everything.

"He had his own business, that is gone. He will have a long time in custody to reflect what from the outside looked like the life of a successful middle age man and that is something he has to live with."

Sentencing Matthews, Judge Paul Thomas said: "You deliberately and cynically set out to rape a girl when you were in your mid fifties.

"At her age she was not only never mature enough to consent with what you were doing, it is highly questionable she understood the significance of what you were doing to her at that age.

"She does not. As is almost inevitable in these cases it has had a profound long term impact on her both psychologically and emotionally.

"These offences do not end when acts ends. There are consequences that go on for years and years and years.

"I suspect Mr Matthews, I do not have to tell you because you are an intelligent man.

"Your earlier involvement with the court system did not dissuade you.

"Your concern was only for your own sexual needs. You pursued her and made her consider you were in a romantic relationship with her. You were not. Your paedophile lust was your motivation.

"Your level of persistent, cynical opportunism and inability to control your attraction to pre-pubescent children means you clearly represent a very significant risk to pre-pubescent children in the future."

He added: "[After] Your business and sporting standing of many years, your public fall from grace is precipitous."

Judge Thomas gave Matthews an extended sentence of 23 years, with 16 years in custody and an extended seven years on licence.

He was also made subject to a sexual prevention order for life, and made to sign the sex offenders' register.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Morgan, of South Wales Police, said: We would like to praise the bravery of the victim for coming forward.

Investigating sexual violence is a priority for South Wales Police and we are committed to investigating all reports of sexual abuse - regardless of when they occurred - in order to ensure that those who exploit the most vulnerable members of society are brought to justice."

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A paedophile who used fake internet profiles to befriend and later blackmail underage girls has been jailed for eight years.

Shane Wakefield first came to the attention of the authorities after one of his victims, a child in Scotland, reported him to Snapchat after he threatened to publish indecent images of her unless she agreed to cooperate with his demands.

After Police Scotland were contacted by the online messaging app, officers were able to trace the offending account to 25-year-old Wakefield in Morriston, Swansea.

He was arrested in September 2015, with police later finding he was using social media platforms Kik, Snapchat and MeowChat to contact girls across the UK and abroad.

He often befriending his victims on apps before asking them for pictures, often in return for gifts like iTunes vouchers.

He then used the initial pictures as leverage to demand graphic images and videos.

Wakefield, of Cwm Arian, Swansea, was subsequently charged with a string of offences relating to eight victims.

On August 10, at Swansea Crown Court, he was found guilty of four counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, eight counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of possessing extreme pornography, three counts of possessing indecent images of a child and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

On Monday, Wakefield was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas said: The wickedness of what you did over a significant period of time to a huge number of young girls cant be underestimated.

You went online seeking out girls of your preferred age of 13-16. You started off by bribing them with vouchers to send you sexual photos including their faces, then you blackmailed them to send you sexually explicit images, and if they didnt comply with your demands you would put them on Facebook and on the internet so their friends would see.

By these utter callous means you forced them to send pictures of their genitalia and performing sexual acts on themselves. Several of them begged you and said they had self-harmed in the past and this made them want to do it again. Anyone with any sort of heart would realise the torment these girls were facing, but your response was brutal.

To put them through that shows the depravity of your nature. There has not been a hint of remorse, just denial. Maybe its for the benefit of your parents so you can make out its a horrible misunderstanding.

The simple fact is you are a committed paedophile. The harm you have caused is incalculable.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Richard Jones, of South Wales Police, said: "Shane Wakefield is a cold and controlling individual who has shown no remorse for his actions.

He deliberately set out to target young girls for his own sexual gratification and the level of depravity shown by him has left a lasting impact on everyone involved in this case.

This has been among the most harrowing cases I have dealt with in almost 20 years, and I cannot commend enough the young girls who worked with us to ensure he was brought to justice.

The impact Wakefields actions have had on the young victims is immeasurable. Many of them were driven to self-harm, both during and after his reign of abuse and they, and their families, have shown immense courage throughout the lengthy investigations and the court proceedings.

I hope todays sentencing brings them some closure and comfort as they attempt to move forward with their lives.

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Police have arrested a paedophile who went missing on the same day he was convicted of 16 offences.

David Hart, from Morriston, Swansea, failed to show up at the city's crown court for the last day of his trial on Tuesday.

Hart, a 60-year-old taxi driver, was arrested by South Wales Police at an address in Morriston on Wednesday.

His victim was just 11 or 12 when he began a campaign of abuse, which lasted for 14 years.

Officers said the hunt for Hart was "immediately treated as a top priority".

Hart was convicted of 12 charges of rape, two of indecent assault, one of assault by penetration and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Tuesday.

'Life-changing consequences'

Judge Geraint Walters said his victim had described "some of the gravest sexual offences".

He adjourned sentencing, saying Hart faced "many years" in prison.

During the trial, the court heard some of the abuse was carried out in front of a camera with hundreds of people watching at times.

Hart's victim said the abuse had caused extreme pain and she thought she may have been drugged.

She told police: "I blame myself. I never did enough to stop him. I had opportunities to stop him but I was too afraid. I hate myself. I feel disgusted I let him do these things. I dream of it."

Judge Walters said it "obviously leaves a permanent psychological mark" and "someone can't be subjected to this behaviour without life-changing consequences".

It was thought Hart been admitted to Morriston Hospital, but police discovered he was not there.