Terrence Stephens – Carmarthen

17 Saturday Aug 2019

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August 2019

Deputy head teacher sexually abused young girl

A former deputy head teacher, who had been a teacher for 30 years, sexually abused a young girl.

Terrence John Stephens subjected the girl to repeated indecent assaults, on one occasion plying her with drink before assaulting her.

But when confronted by police he sought to blame his victim, saying she had flirted with him.

Stephens was deputy headmaster of St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive in Llanelli at the time of the offending but the girl he abused was not connected to the school.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the abuse took place during the 1990s when the girl was aged under 16.

Stephens repeatedly kissed, touched and assaulted the girl at a number of different locations over a period of months.

Helen Randall, prosecuting, said on one occasion he gave the girl alcohol before trying to kiss her and then sexually assaulting her.

The offending only came to light in 2017 when the victim went to the police.

The court heard Stephens initially denied the allegations and claimed she had been flirting with him and initiated sexual contact.

When police searched his computer they found one indecent image of a girl aged around four or five and uncovered evidence in his internet browser history that he had been searching for material involving young girls.

He denied finding young girls sexually arousing but said he liked to look at them as they looked “delightful”.

In a statement, the victim said she had led a “sheltered” life as a child and did not understand what Stephens was doing to her.

The woman described how she had blamed herself for the abuse and had been left with anxiety and panic attacks, and feeling she could not trust men.

Stephens, 70, of Glynderi, Tanerdy, Carmarthen, had previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and one count of possessing an indecent image of a child when he appeared in the dock.

No evidence was offered in regard to two other charges, and formal not guilty verdicts were entered. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Keith Thomas told Stephens he had subjected the girl to a catalogue of sexual offences, causing “immense and long-lasting” consequences for her.

He sentenced Stephens to a total of 54 months. He will serve half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Stephens will also be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and he was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Michael Hume – Carmarthen

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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June 2019

Online sexual predator sentenced

A online sexual predator who attempted to groom a child for sex online has been jailed

Michael Hume, 65 of Carmarthen appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he had denied a string of sexual offences including inciting a child to meet and engage in sexual activity.

At his trial, the jury found Hume guilty of all charges.

The court was told that Hume had contacted the online profile of a child. He sent a number of sexually charged messages with the clear intent of engaging the child into sexual activity. He went on to arrange to meet the child.

However, the child did not exist and was instead a member of paedophile hunting team ‘PH Balance’ who pose online as children to catch sexual predators who target children.

The evidence was handed to police and Hume was arrested. His devices were seized and analysed.

During the trial, the court heard that Hume had a number of previous convictions including:

1970’s – Five counts of sexual assault on a 13 year old boy
1990’s – Two vicious assaults on two women outside a nightclub
An undisclosed date of a sexual assault on a 15 year old girl at a hotel in Llanelli he was manager of at the time.
Road rage incident when he pinned a man between his lorry and a van causing injuries including a punctured lung and broken pelvis.

Hume was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment – Of which half would be served in prison and half on license

The judge told Hume that he must register as a sex offender for a period of ten years

David Davies – Pontyberem

31 Friday May 2019

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May 2019

Miner known as ‘Dai Love’ sexually abused young girls for almost 10 years

A former miner who sexually abused young girls 50 years ago has finally been brought to justice – and police believe he may have more victims.

Paedophile David Allen Davies – who was known as Dai Love, Dai Trout or Dai Slick – sexually assaulted the two underage girls over the course of almost a decade from the late 1960s.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse had a “catastrophic effect” on the victims which has continued throughout their lives.

The offending began in the late 1960s when Davies worked at the Cynheidre colliery in the Gwendraeth Valley, Carmarthenshire.

The victims, who were not known to each other, were both under 13 at the time with one just seven years old when the abuse started.

During their investigation into the events of the 1960 and 1970s Dyfed-Powys Police learned Davies had a reputation in the area for propositioning young girls.

Officers are now urging anyone who was a victim of his behaviour to come forward.

John Hipkin, for the prosecution, told the court it was clear from impact statements from the two victims in the case that the abuse had “blighted” their lives both in childhood and adulthood.

Davies, of Maesyfelin, Pontyberem, was convicted following a trial of four counts of indecent assault and six counts of gross indecency with a child.

At a sentencing hearing on Thursday Mr Hipkin said the offences Davies committed would nowadays carry “significantly” longer sentences than was the case at the time.

The indecent assault charges, under the law at the time and which applies to the sentencing, carried a maximum sentence of five years but similar offences charged and sentenced under current legislation would carry a 14-year maximum term.

Ieuan Rees, for Davies, said the defendant was a man of failing health who, at the age of 70, faced custody for his first conviction. He said the impact of imprisonment on Davies would be “drastic”.

Judge Peter Heywood told Davies he had subjected the girls to “routine and regular sexual abuse” which had had a “catastrophic effect” on them both.

But he said despite the shocking scale and nature of the abuse Davies had to be sentenced in accordance with the law as it stood at the time of the offending as he jailed the defendant for six and a half years.

Davies will also be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Mathew Thomas – Llanelli

01 Wednesday May 2019

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April 2019

Judge slams ‘disgraceful’ police investigation which allowed paedophile to offend for 12 months after arrest

An online sexual predator was allowed to continue hunting for new victims for a year because of the way police handled the case, a court has heard.

Matthew Thomas sought out vulnerable young teenage girls on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram before grooming and emotionally blackmailing them.

In one instance, the 21-year-old sent an intimate photo he had persuaded a victim to give him to her own mother, while in another he encouraged a young girl to self-harm.

A judge said parts of the way police handled the case amounted to a “dereliction of public duty”, and he demanded an explanation from a senior officer.

Swansea Crown Court heard Dyfed-Powys Police were first alerted to the activities of Thomas in December 2017 by officers in the Cleveland force area.

Paul Hobson, prosecuting, said Thomas had been in contact with a young girl with learning difficulties in the north east of England, after the pair began chatting online.

The court heard Thomas was initially flattering towards the youngster, complimenting her on her looks, and then began asking for pictures.

First he asked for non-intimate ones before begging for naked photos.

Thomas threatened to cut himself with a knife if the young teen did not comply with his demands before he started verbally abusing her.

Barrister Mr Hobson said the defendant’s behaviour was “a mixture of being charming, of being abusive, of threatening to harm himself, and of threatening to tell the girl’s family what was going on”. The court heard this was a pattern Thomas he would repeat with all his victims.

Acting on the information from Cleveland Police, Thomas was arrested and questioned by Dyfed-Powys Police in January 2018 .

During interview he made “significant admissions” about his behaviour involving the girl. And on his mobile phone, police found pictures of adults having sex with animals.

The court heard he was released under investigation – only for him to resume offending.

Over the following months Thomas contacted three more young girls online, again using a mixture of “threats and emotional blackmail” to get them to send him indecent photographs.

The court heard that he befriended one of the victims, a 13-year-old, after finding her Instagram account and “liking” lots of her photographs.

He sent this girl videos of him pleasuring himself and wanted her to communicate with him via a live video chat.

At one stage he threatened to “rape her dead”.

He was arrested again in August 2018 after a paedophile hunter group reported he had been chatting to one of their “decoy” profiles online. Again he was released.

Three months later, in November, Thomas was then made the subject of interim sexual harm order at Llanelli Magistrates Court because of concerns about his predatory behaviour.

But he was not charged with any offences and continued offending.

He sent an intimate photograph one of the girls had sent him to the victim’s own mother and encouraged another victim to self-harm.

And by the time he was charged in January 2019, he had groomed another 15-year-old and threatening to make her intimate photos “go viral”.

Mr Hobson said that a month before Thomas was charged there was 11 separate police investigations being carried out.

“There seems to have been a reluctance to ask for charging advice [from the Crown Prosecution Service],” the barrister noted.

Thomas, of Nightingale Court, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, possession and distribution of indecent images, and possession of extreme pornography.

Judge Paul Thomas QC said aspects of the way the investigation had been handled were a “dereliction of public duty”.

He said he wanted a report from an officer of assistant chief constable rank or above within 21 days detailing how the situation had been allowed to happen.

Judge Thomas said: “It is disgraceful that this defendant was allow to commit these offences which still under investigation.”

Then turning to the defendant, the judge said Thomas’ behaviour towards the girls was “vicious and callous” and he said he had no doubt the defendant posed a significant risk to the public.

He sentenced Thomas to a 10-year extended sentence comprising six years custody, and a four-year licence period.

Thomas will also be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his online activities and access to youngsters.

Dyfed-Powys Police was asked for a response to the judge’s criticism, but declined to comment ahead of the report it is preparing for the court.

Peter Lewis – Llangennech

24 Wednesday Apr 2019

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April 2019

Vile child rapist jailed after 15 rapes of a child under 13

A man sexually abused and assaulted young girls over a period of more than 15 years, a court has heard.

A judge told Peter Anthony Lewis he had no doubt the 54-year-old was a dangerous offender who poses a significant risk to girls in the future, and an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public from him.

Lewis subjected the youngsters to a catalogue of horrific attacks, including repeated rapes and sexual assaults.

Police have praised the courage of him victims in coming forward – and are urging anyone who has concerns about contact they or someone they know may have had with the defendant over the years to contact them.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse meted out by Lewis has had a profound effect on the girls’ emotional and psychological well-being.

Lewis, of Tirgof, Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, had previously been convicted at trial of 15 counts of rape of a child under 13, assault by penetration, sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and making indecent images of children when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The not guilty pleas meant his victims had to go through the ordeal of re-living their abuse in court.

The court heard details of statements from the victims which descried the impact of the abuse on them including anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, lack of trust in people and, in the case of one girl, episodes of self-harm.

Judge Keith Thomas told the defendant he had no doubt he should be considered a dangerous offender, and that an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public.

Lewis was sentenced to a 27-year extended sentence consisting of 21 years in custody with a six-year extended licence period.

The defendant can be considered for parole after he has served two-thirds of the 21 year custodial element, but it will be for the Parole Board to decided if he is fit to be released.

Lewis will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

August 2019

Deputy head teacher sexually abused young girl

A former deputy head teacher, who had been a teacher for 30 years, sexually abused a young girl.

Terrence John Stephens subjected the girl to repeated indecent assaults, on one occasion plying her with drink before assaulting her.

But when confronted by police he sought to blame his victim, saying she had flirted with him.

Stephens was deputy headmaster of St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive in Llanelli at the time of the offending but the girl he abused was not connected to the school.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the abuse took place during the 1990s when the girl was aged under 16.

Stephens repeatedly kissed, touched and assaulted the girl at a number of different locations over a period of months.

Helen Randall, prosecuting, said on one occasion he gave the girl alcohol before trying to kiss her and then sexually assaulting her.

The offending only came to light in 2017 when the victim went to the police.

The court heard Stephens initially denied the allegations and claimed she had been flirting with him and initiated sexual contact.

When police searched his computer they found one indecent image of a girl aged around four or five and uncovered evidence in his internet browser history that he had been searching for material involving young girls.

He denied finding young girls sexually arousing but said he liked to look at them as they looked “delightful”.

In a statement, the victim said she had led a “sheltered” life as a child and did not understand what Stephens was doing to her.

The woman described how she had blamed herself for the abuse and had been left with anxiety and panic attacks, and feeling she could not trust men.

Stephens, 70, of Glynderi, Tanerdy, Carmarthen, had previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and one count of possessing an indecent image of a child when he appeared in the dock.

No evidence was offered in regard to two other charges, and formal not guilty verdicts were entered. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Keith Thomas told Stephens he had subjected the girl to a catalogue of sexual offences, causing “immense and long-lasting” consequences for her.

He sentenced Stephens to a total of 54 months. He will serve half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Stephens will also be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and he was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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June 2019

Online sexual predator sentenced

A online sexual predator who attempted to groom a child for sex online has been jailed

Michael Hume, 65 of Carmarthen appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he had denied a string of sexual offences including inciting a child to meet and engage in sexual activity.

At his trial, the jury found Hume guilty of all charges.

The court was told that Hume had contacted the online profile of a child. He sent a number of sexually charged messages with the clear intent of engaging the child into sexual activity. He went on to arrange to meet the child.

However, the child did not exist and was instead a member of paedophile hunting team ‘PH Balance’ who pose online as children to catch sexual predators who target children.

The evidence was handed to police and Hume was arrested. His devices were seized and analysed.

During the trial, the court heard that Hume had a number of previous convictions including:

1970’s – Five counts of sexual assault on a 13 year old boy

1990’s – Two vicious assaults on two women outside a nightclub

An undisclosed date of a sexual assault on a 15 year old girl at a hotel in Llanelli he was manager of at the time.

Road rage incident when he pinned a man between his lorry and a van causing injuries including a punctured lung and broken pelvis.

Hume was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment – Of which half would be served in prison and half on license

The judge told Hume that he must register as a sex offender for a period of ten years

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May 2019

Miner known as ‘Dai Love’ sexually abused young girls for almost 10 years

A former miner who sexually abused young girls 50 years ago has finally been brought to justice – and police believe he may have more victims.

Paedophile David Allen Davies – who was known as Dai Love, Dai Trout or Dai Slick – sexually assaulted the two underage girls over the course of almost a decade from the late 1960s.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse had a “catastrophic effect” on the victims which has continued throughout their lives.

The offending began in the late 1960s when Davies worked at the Cynheidre colliery in the Gwendraeth Valley, Carmarthenshire.

The victims, who were not known to each other, were both under 13 at the time with one just seven years old when the abuse started.

During their investigation into the events of the 1960 and 1970s Dyfed-Powys Police learned Davies had a reputation in the area for propositioning young girls.

Officers are now urging anyone who was a victim of his behaviour to come forward.

John Hipkin, for the prosecution, told the court it was clear from impact statements from the two victims in the case that the abuse had “blighted” their lives both in childhood and adulthood.

Davies, of Maesyfelin, Pontyberem, was convicted following a trial of four counts of indecent assault and six counts of gross indecency with a child.

At a sentencing hearing on Thursday Mr Hipkin said the offences Davies committed would nowadays carry “significantly” longer sentences than was the case at the time.

The indecent assault charges, under the law at the time and which applies to the sentencing, carried a maximum sentence of five years but similar offences charged and sentenced under current legislation would carry a 14-year maximum term.

Ieuan Rees, for Davies, said the defendant was a man of failing health who, at the age of 70, faced custody for his first conviction. He said the impact of imprisonment on Davies would be “drastic”.

Judge Peter Heywood told Davies he had subjected the girls to “routine and regular sexual abuse” which had had a “catastrophic effect” on them both.

But he said despite the shocking scale and nature of the abuse Davies had to be sentenced in accordance with the law as it stood at the time of the offending as he jailed the defendant for six and a half years.

Davies will also be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

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April 2019

Judge slams ‘disgraceful’ police investigation which allowed paedophile to offend for 12 months after arrest

An online sexual predator was allowed to continue hunting for new victims for a year because of the way police handled the case, a court has heard.

Matthew Thomas sought out vulnerable young teenage girls on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram before grooming and emotionally blackmailing them.

In one instance, the 21-year-old sent an intimate photo he had persuaded a victim to give him to her own mother, while in another he encouraged a young girl to self-harm.

A judge said parts of the way police handled the case amounted to a “dereliction of public duty”, and he demanded an explanation from a senior officer.

Swansea Crown Court heard Dyfed-Powys Police were first alerted to the activities of Thomas in December 2017 by officers in the Cleveland force area.

Paul Hobson, prosecuting, said Thomas had been in contact with a young girl with learning difficulties in the north east of England, after the pair began chatting online.

The court heard Thomas was initially flattering towards the youngster, complimenting her on her looks, and then began asking for pictures.

First he asked for non-intimate ones before begging for naked photos.

Thomas threatened to cut himself with a knife if the young teen did not comply with his demands before he started verbally abusing her.

Barrister Mr Hobson said the defendant’s behaviour was “a mixture of being charming, of being abusive, of threatening to harm himself, and of threatening to tell the girl’s family what was going on”. The court heard this was a pattern Thomas he would repeat with all his victims.

Acting on the information from Cleveland Police, Thomas was arrested and questioned by Dyfed-Powys Police in January 2018 .

During interview he made “significant admissions” about his behaviour involving the girl. And on his mobile phone, police found pictures of adults having sex with animals.

The court heard he was released under investigation – only for him to resume offending.

Over the following months Thomas contacted three more young girls online, again using a mixture of “threats and emotional blackmail” to get them to send him indecent photographs.

The court heard that he befriended one of the victims, a 13-year-old, after finding her Instagram account and “liking” lots of her photographs.

He sent this girl videos of him pleasuring himself and wanted her to communicate with him via a live video chat.

At one stage he threatened to “rape her dead”.

He was arrested again in August 2018 after a paedophile hunter group reported he had been chatting to one of their “decoy” profiles online. Again he was released.

Three months later, in November, Thomas was then made the subject of interim sexual harm order at Llanelli Magistrates Court because of concerns about his predatory behaviour.

But he was not charged with any offences and continued offending.