Latest Offenders Neath

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A man sexually groomed a schoolgirl and got her pregnant, a court has heard. Liam Peat then lied about not knowing the real age of the child, a lie he maintained until the first day of trial when his young victim turned up at court to give evidence against him.

Swansea Crown Court heard that what the defendant did made the complainant feel "worthless" to the point she no longer wanted to be around, but she said that while she would have to "live with the horror" of what happened she was not going to let it take over her life.

Dyfed Thomas, prosecuting, told the court that when Peat began chatting to the girl on Snapchat she was aged 13 and he was 19. He said the pair began to meet in secret and the child started "confiding" in the defendant about matters in her life, establishing a level of trust.

The court heard that as matters progressed, communications became sexual, with Peat asking for intimate pictures and sending her a video of himself masturbating. He would tell the girl to delete messages between them.

The prosecutor said the defendant and complainant had sexual intercourse on a number of occasions when the girl was aged 14 and 15, with protection rarely used. He said it was the prosecution case that Peat "groomed and manipulated" the girl.

The court heard the offending culminated in the child becoming pregnant and telling her mother. Police were notified, and Peat attended a voluntary interview, answering "no comment" to all questions.

The prosecutor said that at the time, the girl did not feel strong enough to make a formal complaint and no further action was taken, but in April 2023 she contacted police to pursue it.

Peat was arrested and in interview gave a prepared statement accepting sexual activity took place on a number of occasions but saying it was always consensual and that the girl had told him she was in college, leading him to believe she was of corresponding age.

In a statement read to the court, the complainant said what the defendant did has had a "massive effect" on her life. She said Peat made her feel "worthless" to the point she no longer wanted to be around, but while she would have to "live with the horror" of what he did she was not going to let it take over her life.

Liam Peat, 25, of Heol y Graig, Crynant, Neath, pleaded guilty on the day of trial to two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child. He has no previous convictions but two cautions for battery from incidents on nights out.

Matt Murphy, for Peat, said the defendant accepted immediate custody was the only sentence possible. He said the offending occurred when his client was an immature young man with "difficulties" including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said when Peat had been, to all intents and purposes, a man, he sexually groomed a child after "inveigling" himself into her life. He said while there was now "some regret" from the defendant, it would carry more weight if not so late, when the complainant had come to court prepared for cross-examination.

With a 10 per cent discount for his guilty pleas, Peat was sentenced to 45 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before release on licence.

The defendant will be a registered sex offender for life and was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

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A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after pleading guilty to indecently exposing himself in public.

50-year-old Scott Thomas, from Baglan, flashed his genitals and backside towards passers-by as he walked along Dunraven Street, Aberavon at around 7am on Friday, July 18.

Thomas immediately admitted the offence upon arrest.

He has been sentenced to 26 weeks in prison. He will be required to register with the police in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a period of seven years.

PC Rachael Travers said:

“Scott Thomas’s actions were completely unacceptable and will have caused alarm to those who saw him in Dunraven Street, especially at that time of morning.

“He will have known the likely consequences of what he was doing. Those consequences are now a reality for him.”

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A teenager sent videos of his penis to schoolgirls, a court has heard. Rio Thomas has been described as posing a high risk of harm to children.

The 19-year-old's barrister told Swansea Crown Court that her client had done very little in latter teenage years apart from staying in his bedroom and taking cannabis and cocaine on a daily basis.

Sending the teenager down, a judge said it was clear from everything he had read about Thomas that he had "an obsession with sexual matters" and said a "clear and structured plan" would need to be put in place to manage the defendant in the community.

Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, told the court that between June and December last year the defendant sent a series of videos of himself masturbating to girls using the messaging app Snapchat. He also sent the children sexually explicit messages, some of which referenced sex acts he wanted to engage in with his mother.

The court heard that when his victims blocked him from contacting them the defendant would create a new Snapchat account and resume his contact.

The matter was reported to police and the defendant was arrested in Briton Ferry on December 14. The prosecutor said that as the teenager was being taken to the waiting police van he asked if his handcuffs could be removed so he could put his jacket on - when the cuffs were released, he ran off.

The court heard that officers chased Thomas but were unable to find him. A drone was brought in to help search the area, and the defendant was located in Gethin Street some two hours later.

When interviewed, Thomas denied sending the videos, saying images of him were everywhere in Port Talbot, Maesteg and Bridgend as " I used to be a horny b******".

The court heard police were later able to link the Snapchat accounts from which the videos had been sent to Thomas and to addresses associated with Thomas, including his grandmother's house in Maesteg.

Rio Thomas, of Glanymor Street, Briton Ferry, had previously pleaded guilty to causing a child to watch a sexual act, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, engaging in sexual communications with a child, and escaping lawful custody when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He asked for four counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child involving different young girls to be taken into account.

Thomas has one previous conviction for one offence of aggravated vehicle taking for which he was given a referral order.

Helen Randall, for Thomas, said the defendant began taking cannabis at the age of 14 and cocaine at the age of 15, and said he had spent his latter teenage years doing very little "apart from staying in his bedroom and using those drugs on a daily basis". She said it was clear from the pre-sentence report that the defendant could not explain his offending but said the report highlighted how his drug use and immaturity played their parts.

Judge Geraint Walters said it was clear from everything he had read about Thomas that he had "an obsession with sexual matters" and said the teenager had been described as posing a high risk of harm to children. He said a "clear and structured plan" would need to be put in place to manage the defendant in the community upon his release.

With discounts for his guilty pleas, Thomas was sentenced to 28 months in a young offenders institution. He will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years and was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after he was found guilty of rape and several other offences.

29-year-old Curtis Evans, from Glynneath, raped his victim on three occasions in June 2024. He also strangled her, and on another occasion bundled the victim into his car whilst telling her he was going to kill her.

After pleading not guilty to all charges, Evans was found guilty of three counts of rape and one count of intentional strangulation as well as one count each of kidnapping, threats to kill, ABH and stalking.

Evans has been handed a sentence of three years and six months’ imprisonment, followed by an extended sentence of 18 years comprising a custodial sentence of 15 years and a three-year extended license period.

He has been made subject of a restraining order against the victim and will be on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.

Detective Constable Jack Stannard, of the Rape Investigation Team, said:

“Curtis Evans is a particularly nasty and dangerous character who made his victim’s life a living hell.

“He cared nothing for consent or for the welfare of the victim, and was surely going to commit further crimes towards her had it not been for the intervention of police.

“We laud the victim for her bravery in speaking up about her abuser Curtis Evans. We hope that they can finally achieve some piece knowing that Evans is going to prison for over a decade.”

Detective Inspector Sharon Gill-Lewis said:

“If you are in a situation where you are a victim of any kind of sexual offence, report it to us straight away. Nobody should have to suffer in silence – any victims will be fully supported through their ordeal by our officers.”

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DNA found on a schoolgirl's underwear led an outwardly respectable family man being unmasked as a "monster".

Dean Bradley's barrister said his client realises he had "stolen" his victim's innocence and is deeply ashamed of what he did.

Bradley was handed a special custodial sentence as an offender of particular concern and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Carina Hughes, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that Bradley's offending came to light when the girl's mum did the washing one day and noticed a "yellow-white discharge" on a pair of her daughter's knickers. The concerned mother spoke to the primary-school aged girl who broke down and made disclosures about the defendant performing sex acts on her and showing her "sick, weird" videos of people having sex. The girl said the abuse had happened on a number of occasions.

The court heard Bradley later told someone the child was "like my little girlfriend". He then exposed his penis and threatened to cut it off with a knife.

The police were contacted and the girl's clothes were seized for forensic examination. The court heard the defendant's DNA was found on the girl's underwear.

In a statement from the girl's mother which she read to the court in person she set out the effects of the abuse on her daughter and the wider family. The mum described Bradley as a "monster of a man" who "psychologically groomed" her daughter and planned his abuse of her. She said the defendant's actions had turned her daughter's life upside down and "distorted" her understanding of adults, and she described him as "a danger to society and all children".

Dean Thomas Bradley, aged 36, of Lime Grove, Cimla, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by penetration of a child under 13 and three counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Matt Murphy, for Bradley, said the defendant's pleas meant the complainant had not had to relive what happened to her at a trial. He said his client feels a "deep sense of shame" for what he did and accepts his actions have "stolen" the girl's innocence, self-respect and self-worth.

With discounts for his guilty pleas Bradley was made the subject of a sentence of 12 years and eight months comprising 11 years and eight months in custody followed by an extended 12-month licence period. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective constable James Carver said: "Dean Bradley carried out a horrific attack against a defenceless child. We commend the bravery of the victim in having the courage to speak up having lived with this awful experience. We hope that they will no longer have to live in fear of Dean Bradley."

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A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children.

Following an investigation by the South Wales Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT), 23-year-old Dean Hanford, from Blaengwynfi, made a rare admission via his barrister in court of being sexually attracted to children.

Evidence found during a warrant at Hanford’s address in 2023 showed that he had been receiving payments from others online in exchange for child pornography videos.

He has been sentenced to a total of 28 months in prison.

He will be a registered sex offender for the next ten years, and will also be subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

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A man exposed himself and performed a sex act near a school, a court has heard. Jonathan Keegan has a dozen previous offences of exposing himself and outraging public decency on his record but an experienced probation officer has been unable to find the causes of his behaviour.

Sending 53-year-old Keegan to prison a judge told him there seemed to be no sign of him stopping his behaviour. He warned the defendant that if he continues to offend in the same way the courts would lock him up for longer and longer periods.

Swansea Crown Court heard the defendant's latest offending happened at around 3pm on October 3 this year in a park near a Neath school. The court heard Keegan was seen by a woman walking in the area with his penis exposed and pleasuring himself. The court heard though there were children in the area walking home from school the offending didn't happen in front of them. The incident was reported to police and the defendant was arrested.

Jonathan Patrick Keegan, of Meadow Road, Melin, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to exposure and to breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. The court heard he has previous convictions for seven offences of indecent exposure, seven of breaching a SOPO, and five of outraging public decency. David Singh, for Keegan, said to call the defendant's history of offending "unenviable" would be an "understatement" and said even the experienced author of the pre-sentence report had been unable to gain any real insight into the defendant's behaviour

Judge Paul Thomas KC said while the defendant had clearly been under the influence of drink or drugs on the day not even an experienced probation officer had been able to get to the roots of Keegan's behaviour. He said there appeared to be no sign that the behaviour Keegan had exhibited over the years was going to change, and he told the defendant that if he continues to offend in the same way the courts would impose longer and longer sentences.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Keegan was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the next seven years.

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A pervert exposed himself to schoolgirls on three occasions after he drove up next to them in his car while performing a sex act. He had previously been given a community order for the same offence.

Aled Roberts, 33, exposed himself to schoolgirls in Swansea over three days in February and March this year. On each occasion, the victims noticed a grey Renault car driving up alongside them as they walked home from school.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant wound down his window and said: "Hey girls". He was wearing a grey jumper and his trousers were pulled down. His penis was exposed and he was performing a sex act. He then closed the window and drove off.

On two further occasions, Roberts was caught doing the same thing, staring directly at the victims. Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini said he was identified after his car registration plate was caught on CCTV and police were able to track the defendant.

He was arrested on March 17 and responded to caution by saying: "Are you serious?". The defendant was interviewed and gave no comment answers, but he later pleaded guilty to three counts of exposure. The court heard Roberts, of Wellfield Square, Neath, has one previous conviction for exposure, for which he received a community order.

In mitigation, Hannah Friedman said her client has ADHD which makes him "stupidly impulsive" and he doesn't think things through or consider the consequences. Before his initial conviction, the defendant worked in mental health support but later worked at a bakery and a takeaway. The barrister said Roberts "hates himself" and thinks about what he has done a lot.

Sentencing, Record Greg Bull KC said the defendant has "no understanding" of the damage he had caused the young girls he exposed himself to, and without treatment he would become a "danger to young children". He sentenced Roberts to a total of 12 months imprisonment and made him subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 yeare.

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A sexual predator has been convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two males and a female under the age of 18 more than 20 years ago. He was brought to justice after one of his victims reported the abuse to police in 2019.

John Webb, 70, was arrested at his home in Neath after an investigation was launched by the force. A further two victims were also identified and provided statements. All three victims were under the age of 18 at the time of the abuse, which took place in Cardiff in the 1990s.

The defendant faced trial at Cardiff Crown Court last year and was convicted of 21 charges including three counts of rape, five indecent assaults, and seven counts of indecent assault on a male. He was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment, at the same court, on March 8.

Following the hearing, detective constable Jenna Hargraves, of South Wales Police, said: "Webb’s actions have taken a massive emotional toll on all three victims. For one of them, their life headed towards criminality because they struggled to cope with what had happened. Another victim described Webb as a violent man. But thanks to their bravery and a thorough investigation, he has been brought to justice.

"South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual violence extremely seriously and it is never too late to report a crime. Help and support is available for all victims of sexual violence, and we would encourage any victims; no matter how long ago the offence happened, to please come forward. If anyone has any more information about this or similar matters, and they have not yet spoken to police, please come forward."

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A delivery driver arranged to meet a schoolboy and go back to his house while he was in the course of making drop-offs in the company van, a court has heard. When father-of-two Tyrone Felton arrived at the rendezvous he was was met not by a child but by plain clothes police officers, and an examination of the van revealed its internal CCTV cameras had been covered up.

Sending the 54-year-old to prison a judge at Swansea Crown Court told him the sooner he came to terms with the fact he had "paedophile tendencies" the better it would be for him and for society. He said he sincerely hoped the defendant would take advantage of sex offender education programmes that were available behind bars.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said in February this year a decoy profile purporting to belong to a 14-year-old boy was deployed on social media as part of an operation by Tarian, the southern Wales organised crime unit, to identify potential online sex offenders. He said Felton - who was going by the online name Dave1 - made contact with the profile and they began chatting. The court heard the decoy talked about school and made it clear he was aged 14, and Felton said that was fine. During the conversation Felton asked the boy about his underwear and asked if he could "accommodate" if they were to meet.

The court heard Felton told the decoy he was a delivery driver and was currently in Cowbridge heading west to Haverfordwest, and plans were made to meet "at a public place" in Carmarthen so the defendant could pick up the boy and go to the teen's house. At lunchtime Felton arrived at the rendezvous in his van to be met by undercover police officers who had been sent to the location. The court heard that when the defendant's van was searched officers found the internal CCTV cameras in the vehicle had been obscured by a fleece jacket and caps. The defendant was taken to Dafen police station and subsequently answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview. Mr Pulling said as the Tarian operation was ongoing the name being used by the decoy profile, the social media platforms it was operating on, and the location of the meeting point in Carmarthen would no be revealed in open court.

Tyrone Felton, of Heol Heddwch, Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, attempted sexual communications with a child, and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has a conviction from 1991 for gross indecency with a child and attempted kidnapping of a child, an incident which saw him exposing his penis to young children and inciting them to touch it.

Harry Dickens, for Felton, said the defendant had gone online to meet and talk to men but his use of the apps "spiralled", and he said the father-of-two could not explain what had precipitated offending that was before the court. He said the defendant "wished he had never done it" and was "deeply sorry".

Judge Paul Thomas KC said the defendant's antecedent record showed that he had had "paedophile tendencies" for a considerable period of time and it may be that sometimes they were "latent" and others "active". He said it was clear from the contents of the pre-sentence report that Felton was in denial, and he told the defendant that the sooner he came to terms with that fact he had a problem the better it would be for him and for society. He noted Felton was not particularly remorseful for his actions but was remorseful for the impact on his family.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Felton was sentenced to two years in prison - he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years, and will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time. Judge Thomas told Felton he sincerely hoped he would take advantage of sex offender education programmes that were available in custody.

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A child sex offender was found trying to find a secret phone that he had not told the police about - the third time he has been caught breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Paul Evans has been required to log any mobile he owns with police after being convicted of attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex following online grooming. But an unannounced visit by police to the hotel where he was living uncovered a secret phone. Swansea Crown Court heard the 55-year-old has been assessed as posing an on-going risk of reoffending.

Brian Simpson, prosecuting, said in on July 28 this year police officers went to Evans' room in the Ambassador Hotel in Neath town centre after receiving information that the defendant may be in possession of a phone. The officers knocked on the door and the defendant answered "in a state of undress" having apparently just go out of bed. Evans asked for time to dress but officers became suspicious of the time he was taking and entered the room - they found him trying to hide a mobile phone under his pillow. The court heard the phone was being used to carry out a video call with a woman.

The prosecutor said the phone had not been notified to the police, and Evans was arrested on suspicion of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). The SHPO was imposed in 2018 after the defendant was convicted of sending hundreds of explicit messages to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl and leaving sexual voicemails on her phone before turning up to an arranged meeting. In fact Evans had been communicating with a "decoy" account being run be so-called paedophile hunters, and he was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison. However, just a matter of months after being released on licence from prison from that sentence he acquired a Motorola G7 smartphone which he kept hidden from the police. On that occasion his offending was spotted by eagle-eyed staff at a Job Centre who contacted detectives, and he was subsequently sentenced to eight months in prison for breaching the SHPO.

The court heard Evans breached the SHPO again in October 2021 when he once again contacted a social media profile that purported to be that of a 12-year-old girl but which was in reality a decoy account. The pair's conversation moved to the WhatsApp messaging service where, despite being repeatedly reminded of the girl's supposed age, Evans talked about sexually explicit matters, told the girl he loved her, asked her for sex, and invited her for "sleep-overs" at his house. The pair arranged to meet at the McDonald's restaurant in Baglan on the evening of November 13 and when the father-of-two turned up at the allotted time he was met by members of the paedophile hunter group who then called the police. Evans was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison with the judge noting it was "unfortunate" that the Crown Prosecution Service had made an error in charging Evans, an error that meant he could not consider imposing an extended sentence on Evans.

Paul Evans, formerly of Kennel Row, Briton Ferry, Neath, but now of The Parade, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a SHPO when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Giles Hayes, for Evans, said after being released from his last prison sentence in April this year the defendant had been housed in the Ambassador Hotel. He said Evans had formed a relationship with a woman and had been using the phone to contact her rather than for "sinister purposes".

Judge Catherine Richards told Evans he had committed a deliberate breach of the court order and, given his previous convictions and the assessment of probation staff, it was clear he posed a high risk of causing very serious harm and there was no alternative to immediate custody. The judge said that the appropriate sentence after trial on the guidelines was one of 30 months in prison - with a one-third discount for his guilty plea Evans was sentenced to 20 months. The defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

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A SCHOOL crossing patrol man has been jailed after he was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex.

Stephen Cordy, 55, messaged a social media account set up by a member of a paedophile hunter group on April 11.

They began messaging, and the decoy account stated she was 15 years old.

Cordy said he worked in a school, and asked how he would know the account was not an undercover police officer or a decoy, prosecutor Sian Cutter said.

The decoy sent two pictures of an “age appropriate” girl, and Cordy replied that she was “pretty” and asked about the school she went to.

They arranged for him to come to her house in Drefach on Sunday, April 16.

He asked if he should bring anything, and when asked what, Cordy suggested she might want to tie him up.

“She said she wanted a cwtch, and [Cordy] said it may lead to other things,” Ms Cutter said.

He added he would bring a condom, and when the decoy expressed surprise, the defendant said she “would be fine as [she] had done it before”.

 A school crossing patrol man was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex (Image: Stock Image)

On the agreed date, Cordy messaged the decoy saying he was at the address. The man behind the decoy account left his address and walked down the street to confront him – recording the meeting.

“He said he was only planning to meet her for a coffee and a chat,” said Ms Cutter.

Cordy tried to walk away, but the man threatened to post the video on social media if he did. Cordy admitted bringing condoms to the meeting, but said he always carried them.

Following the confrontation, Cordy drove off, and the man noted down his registration number.

The court heard the man did not contact the police – later saying he was busy moving house – but did post the video on social media.

Ms Cutter said several members of the public contacted the police concerned about the content of the video.

Cordy was arrested by police on April 28 while parked in a layby near Neath.

Ms Williams, defending, said: “I cannot offer the court any reasons for the offending.

“He expresses a willingness to work with the probation service, but because he won’t recognise his offending behaviour for what it is, they feel they are unable to manage the risk.  

“I’m afraid I’m in a difficult position to argue for anything other than an immediate prison sentence.”

Ms Williams said that Cordy, who had pleaded guilty to the offences, had no previous convictions.

The court heard Cordy remained silent when interviewed by police.

“You had nothing to say. You couldn’t have said anything. The game was up,” said Judge Huw Rees.

“This is a significant fall from grace for you in terms of your relationship with your wife, your accommodation, and your job prospects in the future.”

Judge Rees sentenced Cordy to 13 months in prison for meeting a child after sexual grooming, and six months – running concurrently – for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Cordy, of no fixed abode, must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Description

A man has been jailed after he groomed a vulnerable young girl and committed multiple sexual offences against her. Dennis Davies, aged 64, carried out the string of abuse over the course of around a year after “significant planning and grooming”.

Davies, previously of Pen y Bryn in Skewen, near Neath, was found guilty of two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration and five counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 following a trial last month. At a sentencing hearing held at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, prosecution barrister Ian Wright outlined the severity of Davies’ crimes, and the fact that he knew of his victim’s vulnerability and implored her not to tell anyone of the sexual offences he was inflicting upon her.

In a victim impact statement read in court, the victim said that what she endured left her so distraught that she tried to take her own life, while her mother also had a statement read out in court in which she explained the “massive change” she has seen in her daughter since the abuse started. In mitigation, defence barrister Ieuan Rees said Davies had no previous convictions and had been a “productive member of society” who had “never been in trouble of any sort before”.

As Judge Geraint Walters summed up the case, two people in the public gallery got up and left the courtroom, such was the severity of the “multiple offences” he was describing. He said: “Over a period of about a year you routinely and persistently sexually abused her. You recognised her vulnerabilities. You carried out a variety of sexual offences against her.” The Judge concluded his remarks by saying that the victim has been “left with life-long consequences” because of what Davies did.

Davies was sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison, made up of 15 years plus an extension of a year due to being “an offender of extreme concern”. He was told that he will not be considered for early release for at least two-thirds of that sentence, and that he will have to remain on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life. A life-long restraining order was also made, prohibiting him from contacting his victim ever again.

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Christopher Burford's despicable crime was discovered by police investigating the downloading of indecent images

A man photographed himself as he sexually abused and assaulted a baby. Christopher Burford's vile activities were uncovered by police who initially suspected he had been downloading indecent images from the internet and seized his mobile phone for analysis. The 45-year-old has now been given extended sentence as a dangerous offender.

Swansea Crown Court heard that, acting on intelligence, officers attended Burford's house in Pontneddfechan at the top of the Neath Valley in February this year. Ian Wright, prosecuting, said the defendant's phones were subject to an on-the-spot examination and evidence of indecent material was found. The defendant was arrested and interviewed and told officers that he had met a man on an adult swinging website who disclosed sexual offending and claimed he had then begun to carry out an investigation into paedophiles in the area because he wanted to keep children safe. Burford was released on bail while a full digital analysis of his phone was carried out.

The court heard a total of 1,032 images of children being sexually abused were discovered on Burford's Samsung device and while most had been downloaded from the internet it appeared some had been taken by the defendant himself. Further work was done on the phone and it emerged that more than 100 pictures showing a baby being sexually assaulted had been taken by the defendant. Police were subsequently able to identify the child involved. Mr Wright said it was not possible to establish the dates when Burford had taken the pictures. The defendant was interviewed for a second time following the discovery that he had taken some of the photos and this time he answered "no comment" to all questions asked.

Burford, aged 45, of Dinas Street, Pontneddfechan, Glynneath, admitted four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of assault by penetration of a child under 13, the taking of indecent images of Category A, Category B, and Category C, and possession of indecent images. He has no previous convictions. Read about a 63-year-old man with an "unhealthy interest in young girls" sent teens vile messages.

Dyfed Thomas, for Burford, said the best mitigation he could put before the court were the defendant's guilty pleas though he acknowledged they had been entered in the face of "overwhelming" evidence of guilt. He said while the pre-sentence report into Burford questioned his remorse for what he had done he was instructed that his client was genuinely remorseful.

Judge Geraint Walters said Burford had abused a "helpless" baby and said while the courts deal with cases of sexual offending every day some stand out due to the nature of the offending and this was just such a case. He said he was satisfied the defendant should be categorised as a dangerous offender in meaning of the relevant legislation and therefore made the subject of an extended sentence.

Burford was given an 18-year extended sentence comprising 12 years in prison followed by a six-year extended licence period. He must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of his sentence before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to determine when he is safe to be let out and on what conditions. The defendant 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 paedophile who tried to groom a young girl on Instagram was caught after a mum became concerned about changes in her daughter's behaviour, a court has heard.

The mother asked to look at the schoolgirl's mobile and saw she had sent a friend a screen shot of a conversation she had had with a man on the social media site during which the unknown male had asked her for a photo, and discussed meeting. The mum subsequently contacted a so-called paedophile hunter group which took over the youngster's accounts.

Over the following weeks Jose Pardinez-Olea sent a series of sick sexual messages and requests to what he still believed was the 12-year-old girl he had originally been chatting to, including videos of himself masturbating and urinating. Sending the 41-year-old to prison, a judge told him he had no doubt he had intended harm to the girl.

Swansea Crown Court hard that in early 2020 the mother of a girl living in the county of Rhondda Cynon Taf became concerned about changes in the youngster's behaviour, including in the way she was eating and way she used her phone.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said the mum asked to see her daughter's mobile, and on the device found an Instagram screenshot the girl had sent a friend which showed a conversation she had been having with an unknown male calling himself Josh. During the course of the conversation Josh had asked the girl to send him a photograph of herself, and had mentioned meeting at his house in Port Talbot.

The prosecutor said the original conversation had been deleted but the mum was so concerned she synced her phone to her daughter's so she could monitor her social media activity. The man calling himself Josh continued to message the Instagram account, and the mother began to reply as her daughter until Josh sent a photo of his penis - at that point the woman contacted the police and a paedophile hunter group.

The court heard a member of the group took over the running of girl's accounts, and over the following weeks Josh - later revealed as Pardinez-Olea - sent a series of highly sexual messages as well as naked pictures of himself via WhatsApp. The court heard the defendant also sent photographs of scenes from pornographic films he was watching, videos of himself masturbating and urinating, and tried to get the youngster to perform sexual acts on herself.

The paedophile hunter group running the accounts then contacted a similar group in Wales who confronted Pardinez-Olea at his then-home address at Ynys Street in Port Talbot. Police were called and the defendant was arrested. Officers seized his phone, and also recovered a small amount of cannabis from the property.

The court heard police sent the evidence in the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision in early 2021 but the file was returned as it was incomplete. It took another six months for the file to be resubmitted, and the CPS authorised charging in August though it was not until February 2022 that the defendant was charged via postal requisition. The prosecutor said the delay was "clearly not acceptable".

Jose Pardinez-Olea, now of Elias Street, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl under 13, attempting to cause a girl under 13 to watch images of sexual activity, and possession of cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has one previous conviction for one offence, that of driving with excess alcohol.

Giles Hayes, for Pardinez-Olea, said the defendant's arrest had been a "wake up call" for him, and he had stopped drinking and taking drugs, and had returned to work. He said his client was keen to stress that his behaviour at the time of the offending had been effected by isolation, loneliness, and substance misuse.

Recorder David Harris noted that the author of the pre-sentence report concluded that with appropriate treatment there were good prospects of rehabilitation, but he told the defendant he had no doubt that he had intended to cause harm to the child he believed he was communicating with.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Pardinez-Olea was sentenced to a total of four years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder to the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.