Latest Offenders Cardiff

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detective Constable Sam Evans said:

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

Description

A paedophile plied his victim with Apple Sourz and and filmed himself raping her on a number of occasions. The abuse left the victim feeling like she "wanted to die".

Michael Tustin, 33, from Cardiff, began abusing his victim before she was a teenager and forced her to drink alcohol until she was intoxicated. The first time it happened she fell asleep and woke up in a confused state before being sexually touched and then raped.

Prosecutor Clare Wilks told Cardiff Crown Court that the victim, who has lifelong anonymity, blamed herself for the abuse, and Tustin would frequently apologise and say he would stop - but days later he would tell the victim he "missed her" and the abuse would continue. Over time, the victim drink more and more alcohol so she would not remember being raped and she shut herself off from her family.

The abuse came to light after the victim told her mother what had been going on and the police were called. Tustin was arrested and interviewed - but claimed it was the child who had initiated sexual contact before he denied having sexual intercourse with her.

However, examination of his phone resulted in videos and images of the victim being discovered - with some depicting Tustin raping the girl. Indecent images of other children were also found. The defendant, of Ninian Road, Roath, later pleaded guilty to rape. He also pleaded guilty to sexual touching of a girl under 13 and possession of indecent images.

In a victim personal statement, the victim's mother said her daughter was a "complete mess" as a result of the abuse and was struggling to sleep. She had previously been a high achieving school pupil with good attendance but this has been massively affected.

Her mum added: "I am worried about her education and future. She feels she doesn't want to live anymore and says she doesn't see the point in life. She feels (the defendant) is there watching her and feels he is breathing on her. She locks herself in her bedroom and has anxiety attacks and feels like she wants to die."

In mitigation, Ieuan Rees said his client was of previous good character and had a responsible job but has ruined his life as a result of his actions. He said the defendant was aware of the harm he had caused and had "voluntarily" reached out to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to seek help for his issues.

Judge David Wynn Morgan admonished Tustin after he became emotional in the dock, saying "Sit up, the court does not feel sorry for you." The judge then added: "You have created and caused severe psychological harm to the complainant.... You subjected her to this course of conduct and her remarks in interview to the effect she feels guilty about it because she thinks she might have been able to stop it which she probably wasn't..... She's not responsible for any of that, you are."

Tustin was given an extended sentence of 18 years imprisonment, made up of a custodial element of 12 years and a further six years on licence. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he is considered for parole.

Description

A rapist's victim thought she was going to die when he broke into her home and lay in wait before fracturing her cheekbone and strangling her.

David Turner, 41, from Cardiff, carried out a "forceful and premeditated" assault on his victim, who he also raped while under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, causing her pain and humiliation.

The victim sustained injuries to her face after Turner hit her and strangled her after entering her home through a window and waiting until she returned to her house.

The defendant, who refused to leave his cell for sentencing, claimed the sex was consensual but this was dismissed by a jury who convicted him of rape and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, following a trial at Cardiff Crown

A sentencing hearing on Friday heard a victim personal statement from Turner's victim, who has lifelong anonymity.

She said: "The incident has dramatically effected my life in a number of ways. The injuries have still not healed, the bruises took six weeks to go and left me with an angry and painful left eye and numbness to the side of my face. As to this day I still have numbness to the left side of my face.

"My self esteem is so low I have contemplated suicide. I have nightmares and flashbacks, my mental health has declined and I am receiving therapy. I have had alarms, locks and security lights installed and a large fence built. He broke in and lay in wait for me to get home before he attacked me.

"I don't go places I have been before for fear of seeing him even though I know he's in prison and I have fears he will come out and get me. I won't leave the flat for days and I live in a constant state of anxiety and fear.

"He told me he was going to kill me that night and 100% thought I was going to die."

The victim added also told the court she struggled to trust men and people in general as a result of the attack and she is now moving home as she no longer feels safe.

She said: "I am nervous and everthing is a little bit more scary, even when walking my dogs I am too scared to go out.... I was quite happy go lucky and enjoyed going to the gym but I can't do that anymore and I even struggle to go places in my car. My life has changed completely."

Defence barrister said his client maintained sex was consensual but he did not deny sex occurred, which was the impression the author of pre sentence formed.

Sentencing, Judge David Wynn Morgan said: "During the trial, the defendant had no grasp on the seriousness of his behaviour or its consequences... He's seriously damaged (the victim's) ability to trust persons of the opposite gender."

Turner was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, of which he will serve two thirds in custody before being released on licence. He was also made subject to a restraining order until further notice.

Description

A "cold and dangerous" man who followed a woman off a bus and attacked her has been jailed after police used facial recognition to identify and catch him.

Craig Walters, 39, followed the young woman off a bus in Cardiff then attacked her, before being interrupted by a member of the public.

South Wales Police said they gathered CCTV from the area, including from the bus, and used facial recognition software to identify the suspect as Walters, who also goes by Craig Watts and Craig Whites and was known to police.

He was arrested within 48 hours of the attack and pleaded guilty to false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence.

He has now been jailed for life at Cardiff Crown Court and ordered to serve a minimum of six years in prison. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life.

Detective Constable Dave Simmons, from Cardiff CID, said: “At around 10.50pm on Sunday, November 10, 2019 a young woman was followed off a bus on Pontprennau. As she walked alongside a grass verge in Pentwyn Road, she was grabbed from behind by a complete stranger

“She bravely tried to fight him off and screamed for help until thankfully a member of the public intervened and the suspect ran off. It must have been absolutely terrifying.

“We gathered extensive CCTV from the area, including footage from the Cardiff Bus she has been travelling on, and this gave us an image of the suspect who had been on the same bus.

“Using Retrospective Facial Recognition on this CCTV image we identified the suspect as Craig Walters – someone who was known to police.

“I am in no doubt that we would have got to him eventually, but the use of retrospective facial recognition technology meant we got to him quicker and within 48 hours he was in custody.”

Simmons said the victim had shown huge bravery throughout the case and also thanked the witness who intervened on the night of the attack.

He added: “Walters however is cold and dangerous individual who as shown no remorse and I believe he only pleaded guilty because of the strength of the evidence.

“I hope the successful outcome of this investigation will give other victims the confidence to come forward.

“As detectives we use all available technology to bring offenders to justice, and help and support is available to all victims.”

Description

A depraved man with an obsession for child abuse images took pictures of teenagers urinating in public and then shared them online.

David Parsons, 38, was found in possession of hundreds of indecent images of young children and distributed thousands of images to other paedophiles, including films involving children between six and 12 months old.

The defendant was also found with images he had taken in Cardiff and Bristol of teenage boys urinating in public toilets, including the Cardiff City Stadium.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday also heard that Parsons' partner James Carlyon was also found with indecent images of children, the youngest being six months old.

Prosecutor Byron Broadstock said: "On April 9, officers from the police online investigation team executed a search warrant at Forest View, Fairwater, the home address of David Parsons and persons at the address including Parsons and Carlyon.

"The reason for their attendance was explained and Parsons said 'you're going to find images'."

Two mobile phones, belonging to each defendant, was seized and a laptop from Carlyon's home in Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil, was also seized.

On Parsons' phone, officers found; 87 images and four movies of category A, 83 images and six movies of category B, and 703 images and one movie of category C.

The court heard there were links to storage services and active links containing images and video files, in the defendant's notes app on his phone.

Mr Broadstock added: "There were conversations between the defendant and others with similar interests in which they discussed which images they possessed and what images they sought.

"The defendant offered to forward images to others."

The amount distributed by Parsons included; two images and 1,816 movies of category A, eight images and 1,731 movies of category B and 40 images and 396 movies of category C.

During one of the conversations, Parsons was quoted as saying "I have often thought about getting a run away street kid for sex".

Officers also found eight images taken of teenagers urinating in public toilets without their knowledge. One of these was taken in Bristol on December 6, 2019, and at the Cardiff City Stadium on January 31, this year.

On Carlyon's mobile phone, police discovered; 51 images and 176 movies of category A, 43 images and 38 movies of category B, 82 images and nine movies of category C, 40 images and one movie of extreme pornography and one image and one movie of prohibited images.

There was also images of clothed teenage boys taken by Carlyon without their knowledge, at a Merthyr Tydfil retail park where the defendant worked. These images were not subject to charges.

Parsons, of Forest View, Fairwater, pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images, distribution of indecent images and voyeurism.

The defendant had a previous conviction from 2011 for possessing indecent images of children.

Carlyon, whose address was also given as Forest View, Fairwater, pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images, extreme pornographic images and prohibited images of children.

Barrister Richard Ace, representing Parsons, said his client was willing to work to overcome his "entrenched difficulties and problems" and had been working with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

He added: "The defendant previously worked at a managerial level in retail. These relapses took place in a period of his life where he lost his job because of his previous conviction which led to minor levels of depression and caused him to do this offending again."

Barrister James Evans, representing Carlyon, said his client had no previous convictions and there was no evidence of distribution in his case.

Sentencing Parsons, Judge Michael Fitton QC said: "The total picture adds to portraying a man who is not just interested in paedophilic images but an obsession with it and your obsession had led you to taking photographs of other people in public places in the act of urination, and sharing it.

"You are a man who has such a depraved outlook there's no question of any means of dealing with you other than a custodial sentence."

Addressing Carlyon, Judge Fitton added: "There are features of your conduct which show a shared interest and common view. The circumstances in which you have been looking together is relevant to how your own thinking and conduct has been degraded.

"If you continue or reestablish a relationship with the defendant and find yourself in court again for similar offences you will be going to prison. If you move on from that relationship and take the opportunity I am giving you, you have the opportunity to move on with your life."

Parsons was sentenced to three years imprisonment and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Carlyon was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years, and was made subject to a 10 day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

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An "extremely devious" paedophile tried to groom two teenage girls online and encouraged them to meet with him.

Christopher Walsh, from Barry, contacted online accounts he thought belonged to two teenage girls, aged 13 and 14, in early 2019.

The 41-year-old encouraged the two teenagers to send pictures of themselves in swimming costumes and in the bath, before asking them to meet up with him.

But the accounts were actually decoys used by adults to report predators to the police, a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard on Friday.

A judge said the evidence suggested Walsh, who has numerous convictions for sexual offences against children, has a "longstanding, entrenched and predatory sexual interest in children".

Prosecutor Eugene Egan said Walsh contacted the social media account of what he thought was a 14-year-old girl on March 20, 2019.

Mr Egan told the court the person he was actually speaking to was an adult.

"He said that he was 40," Mr Egan said.

"He asked if she had a boyfriend. He said that he was from Barry in south Wales and suggested they could meet in a hotel.

"He told her to keep their conversation secret. He told her she was beautiful and that he wanted to meet her."

Mr Egan said Walsh asked to see a picture of the girl in a swimming suit and began to speak to her in "more sexual ways" as time went on.

Walsh later "offered to help her with sex education".

"He offered to teach her about sex and assured her it wouldn't hurt her," Mr Egan said.

Mr Egan said he also encouraged her to masturbate, before the contact between the two ended on March 20.

The prosecutor said the second offence was also committed with a decoy, this time a social media account purporting to belong to a 13-year-old girl.

Between February 26 and March 30, 2019, Mr Egan said Walsh engaged in repeated communication with the account.

Walsh told the girl he was 40 years old, competed as a cage fighter, and "invited her to Wales for a walk on the beach".

Mr Egan said Walsh encouraged her to masturbate and take a photograph of herself in the bath.

He also suggested moving nearer her address "to be closer to her" and that he wanted to "play with her flower".

Walsh was arrested in April 2019, and initially made denials in a police interview.

"The case against him was frankly overwhelming," Mr Egan said.

Walsh, of Evans Street, Barry, pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

The prosecution told the court Walsh has a significant history of similar offending.

In 1999, he was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders' institution for an indecent assault on a female under 16.

In March 2002, he received a five-year sentence for two offences of indecent assault of a female under 14.

In 2008, he was convicted of another offence of engaging in sexual activity with a child under 16, for which he received a four-year sentence.

Walsh further failed to comply with registration notification requirements and has received convictions for that, Mr Egan said.

Andrew Taylor, defending, said his client deserved credit for his early guilty pleas.

"He has a record showing that he is attracted to young women," Mr Taylor said.

"He has to accept that that is something that is not tolerated in today's society and so far as the criminal justice system is concerned it will not be tolerated in future."

Addressing the defendant, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You are 41 years of age with 51 previous convictions including convictions for sexual offences in 1999, 2002, and 2008.

"You pose a high risk of causing sexual harm to children and I'm satisfied on all the evidence that you have a longstanding, entrenched and predatory sexual interest in children.

"You are extremely devious. The spectre of you at your computer keyboard is every parent's nightmare."

Walsh was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offender's register, both for a period of 10 years.

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Dylan Jones even performed at mother-and-baby gigs

A comedian who has performed at mother-and-baby gigs has a conviction for child pornography.

Dylan Jones, now 53, received a 12-month suspended sentence in 2017 under his real name of David Parton after police found 549 indecent images of children on his computer when they visited his home in Penarth, near Cardiff. He remains on the sex offenders’ register.

Comedians on the South Wales circuit reacted with shock and revulsion after learning about his past, and feared his use of a stage name was designed to hide his conviction.

The case also raises questions about what checks promoters should make on comics performing at family gigs. The law does not require sex offenders to volunteer their convictions, but must do so if an employer asks.

Parton apologised for ‘the hurt I  have caused to the comedy community’ as well as the victims of the images he downloaded, and said he had successfully been seeking help for his problems. A total of 44 of the images were of the most serious kind, category A. 

His 2017 sentence was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work, be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years and to register as a sex offender for the same amount of time.

At Cardiff Crown Court, he admitted that he had been viewing images for four or five years and had an interest in spanking. He said he had never wanted to participate in such activity and needed help. Passing sentence,  Recorder Simon Mills acknowledged  Parton had assisted the police, expressed remorse and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Since his conviction, Parton has continued to perform on the stand-up circuit under his new stage name, including performing at two mother-and-baby gigs, Babi Comedy, last autumn.

After his conviction was revealed on a Facebook group for Cardiff-based comedians yesterday, colleagues registered their disgust. One even said: ‘I've been in a car with him, been to gigs with him,  lived next door to him. And now I feel physically ill and like I have to phone my Dad to tell him to move because I won't go over the house ever again knowing he breathes next door.’ 

Others said: This is very shocking and saddening and I only hope he understands the magnitude of what he's been doing’; ’I like everyone else was totally unaware of this sickening news. I find myself in complete shock and anger’; and  ‘There are so many layers of horrible to this that it's hard to know what to think other than at every opportunity he has failed to do the right thing’. 

Another comic posted: ‘I’ll tell you what: the one who needs "help" in this situation is each and every child who was abused, assaulted and trafficked to make the indecent images he kept. THEY need rehabilitation. THEY need therapy.’

There were also concerns about him using a professional alias. One comic said: ’When sex offenders are sincerely working on changing their behaviour I would usually urge against this sort of thing [naming-and-shaming],  but immediately creating a new alias is certainly immoral. Shocking.’

However Parton insisted he had not intended to mislead people.

In a statement to Chortle, he said: ‘It's obviously been a shock to many, and I fully understand the hurt I have caused to the comedy community, my family and friends and most importantly the victims of the images I downloaded. 

‘There is no justification for what I did, but I have been working with voluntary organisations, the police and mental health professionals to address my offending behaviour and my underlying serious mental health issues.

‘I am in a very different place to where I was four years ago when I was arrested. I am under regular supervision by the police.  My mania and depression are under control, and I have not reoffended in four years.

‘Police were aware of my change of stage name, and there has never been an attempt to disguise my identity or mislead people.’

Speaking of the mother-and-baby gigs he said: ‘There was no interaction between myself or the mother, babies or toddlers. More importantly I was accompanied the whole time. Again I can only apologise to those who have been hurt by my actions.’

But fellow comic Jorden Haste said: ‘The fact he's put himself around children multiple times, even lending his PA system when he's not actually an act so he's there, shows he's not ashamed.’

Hales Corney, promoter of the Babi Comedy gigs in Cardiff, told Chortle: ‘I’m shocked and saddened by these revelations. It’s a big wake-up call and we’re going to put extra steps in place when we restart after the lockdown.’

In a blog post on his website earlier this year, Parton spoke of suicidal feelings around the time of his conviction, saying he took an overdose of paracetamol and drove to his favourite beach. He explained: ‘I was a mess. I had done a lot of stuff I’m not proud of, and put everything, and everyone I valued at risk.’

But he said he was buoyed by messages online to try to turn his life around. ‘I wasn’t "cured",’ he posted. ‘There was no overnight recovery. It too all sorts of therapy and drugs to get me back on an even keel. Part of my recovery was to change my name…. It’s not too late to change direction.’

Parton started on the comedy circuit in 1998 under his real name. According to his biography he had previously been ‘a failed radio presenter, wedding DJ, musician, social worker and brush salesman’. He took some time off the circuit to become an actor, before returning in 2015.

However the revelations about his past are certain to curtain that career. One promoter posted: ‘I’ll obviously never book him again and I can assure you that I’ll make this known to other comics and bookers.’