A MAN from Laugharne who sent sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl has avoided an immediate jail term after being caught in a paedophile hunter sting.

Swansea Crown Court heard that William John, 59, of Orchard Park, made contact with a Facebook profile in October 2021 which he believed belonged to a young teenage girl. In fact, the account was a decoy run by a paedophile hunter group.

Prosecutor Matthew Murphy told the court the profile made clear the girl was 13 “from the outset”. During their exchanges, the decoy discussed school life and told John she would be turning 14 in November.

Despite this, John went on to “cultivate an online relationship” with the account between October 11 and November 3, 2021.

The court heard the messages quickly became sexual. John explained what masturbation was, asked whether he could show the child his genitals, requested photographs of her body and repeatedly told her he was aroused.

After sending the messages, John deleted them and asked the decoy to do the same. However, screenshots of the conversations had already been captured by the group.

In one exchange, John admitted he knew what he was doing was wrong.

The group later used a second decoy account, posing as an adult woman, to arrange a meeting at the Travelodge in Carmarthen. A local group confronted John at the hotel before police arrived and took possession of evidence, the court was told.

Officers seized John’s mobile phone and recovered the conversations.

When interviewed, John claimed he did not truly believe the girl was 13 and said he had been trying to expose whoever was behind the profile as “scammers”.

However, on the day his trial was due to begin, he changed his plea and admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child. The court heard he had no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Ian Ibrahim said John’s guilty plea was among his strongest points in mitigation. He told the court the defendant had not reoffended in the more than four years since the offence and was dealing with several physical health problems.

Mr Ibrahim also said John had been “humiliated” after the paedophile hunter group posted footage of the confrontation online, making him “the subject of ridicule” locally.

Sentencing, Judge Catherine Richards said it was conduct like this that made the internet a more dangerous place for children.

John was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He must sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

A PEMBROKESHIRE respite provision centre supporting children and young people with disability needs has been rated ‘excellent’ in all areas by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).

Following a recent inspection Holly House, in Haverfordwest, has met excellent standards in well-being, care and support, environment and leadership and management.

This follows substantial and sustained improvement thanks to the team at Holly House, having previously been considered a service of concern.

CIW inspectors said the move to an excellent rating is a direct result of highly effective leadership and management, which consistently places children’s safety and wellbeing at the heart of every decision.

The inspection report adds: “The Responsible Individual (RI) provides excellent strategic direction and demonstrates a clear commitment to continuous improvement, while the manager is skilled and proactive in maintaining high standards. Oversight of the service is robust and has driven significant improvements, resulting in positive outcomes for children’s wellbeing.”

The report highlights the choice, independence, and opportunities the visiting children experience, enhancing their happiness and quality of life, adding they are supported to feel safe, valued and involved in decisions about their care.

There are strong relationships with families, with further plans to strengthen those along with a continued increase in a wide range of activities and community trips.

Feedback from families is highly positive. All families who completed surveys rated care and support as excellent.

Head of Children’s Services Chris Frey-Davies said: “The Council is delighted to hear the outcome of the recent CIW inspection of Holly House. Achieving excellent ratings across all four themes is an incredible accomplishment and a true testament to the dedication and leadership within Holly House.

“As highlighted by CIW inspectors, to move from a position of significant concern to sustained excellence speaks volumes about the commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing at every level.”

Cabinet Member for Young People, Communities and the Well-being and Future Generations, Cllr Marc Tierney, echoed the positive CIW comments and congratulated the team at Holly House for their fantastic work: “It is clear to see that the young people who attend Holly House really do benefit from the quality of care provided by our hardworking, dedicated team.

“I want to thank them for their role in supporting our young people which also provides essential respite for local families from their caring responsibilities. This external report puts on record the high quality of this provision and underlines that our young people are at the heart of this vital service.”

Council tax policing element to increase by 7.47% — an extra £26.95 a year for the average Band D household

POLICE and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn has confirmed the Dyfed-Powys Police precept for 2026/27 following a meeting of the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Panel on Friday (Jan 23).

The precept — the portion of council tax that helps fund local policing — will rise by 7.47%, increasing the average Band D bill by £26.95 a year, or around £2.25 a month.

After several months of scrutiny, the Police and Crime Panel unanimously supported the Commissioner’s proposal. Members of the panel praised the “open and transparent” way the precept process was handled.

The increase will raise a total precept of £93.033m, supporting an overall budget requirement of £161.905m.

In setting the precept, Mr Llywelyn said he had weighed inflation and cost pressures, demand on services, reserve levels, future investment needs, efficiency plans and feedback from residents across the Dyfed-Powys area.

He said the agreed funding would support targeted investment in policing, with a focus on strengthening Local Policing Teams and prevention work.

The Commissioner said funding would support additional neighbourhood officers to increase visible patrols and strengthen local relationships, extra response officers to improve response times, enhanced early intervention work with young people through partnership working with schools, families and youth services, and investment in innovation to improve services to victims and streamline processes so officers can spend more time on frontline duties.

“I recognise the pressure that any increase in the police precept places on households,” Mr Llywelyn said. “However, this decision is about protecting frontline policing and investing in the services that matter most to our communities.

“Residents have been clear that they want to see more officers locally, faster response times and a greater focus on prevention. This investment delivers exactly that.”

He added: “While the financial and operational environment remains challenging, this level of funding provides the stability needed to focus on delivery and on the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan.

“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views through the consultation, as well as members of the Police and Crime Panel for their continued scrutiny and support.”

Councillor Keith Evans, vice-chair of the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Panel, who chaired the meeting, said: “I am very pleased with the outcome of the precept meeting and want to take the time to thank panel members and the finance sub-group for their diligence in reaching their decision, which has come after many meetings of scrutiny.

“I wish to note the open and transparent manner the Commissioner and his office responded to the sub-group’s request for information. I would also like to express my gratitude to the panel’s secretariat team for their usual cooperation and support.”