Search results for Neath

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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.

Description

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.

Description

A sex offender was found hiding a boy and a girl who were from children's homes in a wardrobe in his bedroom. Just weeks after police made the shocking discovery, Jamie Roberts took two boys - again vulnerable teens living in care - back to his house where they drank alcohol and took drugs - and he suggested getting amphetamine as it "makes you really horny".

Roberts, who also goes by the name Jamie Whelan, is currently subject to a sexual harm prevention order after being convicted of child abduction.

Swansea Crown Court heard that early in the morning of December 21 last year police in Swansea were notified that two teenagers - a girl and a boy - had failed to return home to their respective care homes by the allotted curfew times the previous night. Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said the police investigation led to Roberts' flat in Skewen, and at 3.40am officers knocked on his door. The court heard the lights were on in the property but the officers' knocks went unanswered, though they noticed the blinds in a window were twitching. Officers kept knocking and eventually Roberts answered - despite being fully clothed he told his callers he had been asleep.

The house was searched and it initially appeared Roberts was alone. However, officers noticed a big pile of bedding and clothes stacked up in front of a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. And when officers moved the items, and opened the wardrobe, they found the missing children hiding inside. The teenagers were returned to their care homes and Roberts was arrested. In his subsequent interview the 35-year-old defendant provided a prepared statement in which he said the children had asked him to hide them, and that they had taken cocaine and amphetamine. After being questioned Roberts was released under investigation.

The court heard the second incident happened on February 28 this year and involved the same teen boy along with another male youth who was also living in care. The prosecutor said on this occasion Roberts met the boys at Swansea railway station and took them back to his home in Skewen. During the evening the trio drank alcohol and the two teens smoked cannabis, and Roberts suggested getting amphetamine as it "makes you really horny". At around 4am an argument broke out and Roberts chased the boys from his flat - apparently at knife-point. One boy rang his care home and a member of staff drove to Skewen to collect him. Roberts was again arrested and admitted arranging to pick up one of the boys from the station - but said he had been surprised to find the youngster was not alone.

Jamie Paul Roberts, of New Road, Skewen, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 19 previous convictions for 22 offences including a number for sexual offences beginning with the indecent assault of a girl when he was a juvenile - this involved him assaulting a girl in public toilets on a beach. In 2005 he was convicted at Swansea Crown Court of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, and convicted of the same offence two years later at Stratford Crown Court. However, the court did not hear details of these breaches.

In 2021 he was sentenced to a two-year community order for child abduction - this offence involved a young boy staying in his property in defiance of a child abduction warning notice issued by police following concerns raised by the boy's dad about the nature of the defendant's relationship with his son.

Ian Ibrahim, for Roberts, said the defendant's childhood had been "nothing short of a disaster for him". He said Roberts was taken into care at the age of four and put on anti-psychotic drugs because of his behaviour, and that was followed by a period of living with 10 different foster families and in five foster homes, as well as being bullied at school. The barrister said the defendant had subsequently been diagnosed with a number of conditions including personality disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Mr Ibrahim said Roberts had been the victim of a serious assault in Cardiff's Bute Park - the same area where Dr Gary Jenkins was murdered in a homophobic attack - and had also been the victim of so-called cuckooing when a drugs-gang took over his Neath flat.

Judge Paul Thomas QC said he had no doubt Roberts' contact with the young children from care homes had been sexually-motivated grooming behaviour. He said it was clear the defendant posed a risk of serious harm to children but said it was not possible to pass an extended sentence for the offences currently before the court.

With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Roberts was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for breaching the sexual harm prevention order, and the judge re-sentenced the defendant for the previous child abduction offence imposing a six month sentence for that to run consecutively, making an overall sentence of four years in prison. Roberts will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Description

A man has been sentenced to six years in custody after being found guilty of committing six sexual offences against a 12-year-old girl.

Karl Richard Walsh, 41, denied all the charges but he was convicted following a trial at Swansea Crown Court earlier this week.

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Joanne Williams of South Wales Police, has praised the 12-year-old child for the way in which she has conducted herself throughout her horrific ordeal.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the girl in this case,” she said.  “Not only has she had the courage to report what had happened to her, but she has continued to support the investigation right to the end.  As a result of this child’s bravery, Walsh will now spend years in prison to reflect on his behaviour.”

Walsh, of Burnside, Neath, will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Meanwhile the number of sex offences recorded by police in Wales has reached its highest level since 2002, according to latest crime figures. 

Statistical analysis shows that 3,973 crimes were recorded against children in Wales in the 12 months to June 2019.  This figure is up from 3,920 the previous year and the highest number since records began in 2002.  The findings confirm that the figure has more than doubled in the last five years alone.

The spike may be the result of an actual rise in the number of child abuse crimes, but it may also be linked to more victims feeling able to come forward to speak about their ordeals and also a better recording process by police.

Sexual crimes which are being committed against children include rape, sexual exploitation and the grooming of children under the age of 16.

Description

John Paul Bullingham was described by a court as a 'committed, if unsuccessful, paedophile' A paedophile attempted to meet a fictitious young girl and made threats to someone he thought was an 11-year-old girl, a court has heard. John Paul Bullingham was caught with indecent images of children by police and he was released pending further investigation. But in the meantime Swansea Crown Court heard how Bullingham, of Bowen Street in Neath, sexually communicated online with people he thought were young girls. During the exchanges he encouraged lewd behaviour, attempted to arrange to meet another, and made threats to a third. Judge Paul Thomas QC told the defendant: "Having heard the evidence in this case you are a committed, if unsuccessful, paedophile. "You had an index of category A images of children and those images had children as young as five part of a collection accumulated over a year. "Having been caught you were released under investigation by the police but that did not stop you. "After being released under investigation you communicated sexually online with children online. One of those was who you thought was a 14-year-old girl which you encouraged to masturbate herself. "You arranged to meet in Neath who you believed was a 13-year-old girl and if she had been real I have no doubt you would have committed sexual offences in relation to her. "Possibly the most unsavoury and most dangerous aspect of what happened was concerning who you thought was an 11-year-old girl. You said to the fictitious girl that you would contact her friends and others online if she did not do what you wanted her to do. That is a particularly sinister aspect of this case." Bullingham appeared for sentencing after being found guilty by a jury following a trial of five counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child, one count of possessing indecent images of a child, five counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and a further count of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity. Paul Hobson, mitigating, said: "At the age of 32 this is his first significant experience of custody. He has a relatively limited antecedent history. This is a defendant with a mild intellectual disability." Sentencing Bullingham, Judge Thomas said: "I believe you pose a high risk of causing serious harm to others in future." He handed Bullingham an eight-year sentenced comprising five and a half years in prison and the remainder on extended licence. He has also been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite notification requirement.