Crime
Hakin paedophile jailed for 1200 sick films and pictures of children and babies
A HAKIN man took an indecent’ tribute’ picture of a young girl and sent it to fellow paedophiles, Swansea Crown Court has heard.
Graham Thomas, 58, a former security guard, also downloaded more than 1,200 sick films and pictures of children and babies being abused. He also engaged in online chats about his sexual fantasies with children.
At a previous hearing last month, Thomas admitted seven charges of taking, distributing, and making indecent photographs of a child. He also at the time pleaded guilty to a further charge of possessing ten extreme pornographic images portraying a person performing an act of sexual intercourse with a live or dead animal.
The offences took place at Milford Haven between October 8 and 10 when Thomas admits taking four category C indecent images of children; distributing one indecent Category A image of a child; distributing ten indecent category B images of children; distributing 34 indecent category B images of children; making 298 indecent category A images of children; making 475 indecent category B images of children and making 471 indecent category C images of children.
Sending him straight to jail at his sentencing hearing, the judge at Swansea Crown Court said that the images, some of children as young as just 18 months old, were “vile” and “simply stomach-churning”.
Barrister Craig Jones, prosecuting for the CPS , explained that the defendant was arrested in November 2020 at the house he shared with his mother. Thomas’s laptops, phones, and tablets were seized
A full search of his electronic resulted in 1,244 indecent images and videos, including 298 Category A images, the most serious, as well as 10 extreme pornographic images being found.
Detectives from Dyfed-Powys Police were shocked to discover online chat logs where it could be seen that Thomas had discussed his child abuse fantasies with several other like-minded individuals, and discovered he had shared a small number of indecent images with other paedophiles.
Defending, John Allchurch, said Thomas was remorseful for what he had done. He had worked as an oil refinery security guard, spending spent a lot of time alone; leading him to develop an interest in online pornography which led to more extreme material.”
Judge Paul Thomas QC said the children in the images found were real children somewhere in the world being horribly abused.
Thomas was sentenced to two years and four months in jail, and will be a registered sex offender for 10 years.
Crime
Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm
THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.
Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.
Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.
The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.
“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.
“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.
“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”
Crime
Sex offender jailed for breaching court order
A SEX offender from Wolfscastle has been jailed after using fake names on WhatsApp and attempting to access a social media app, breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).
Luke Rogers, 38, was sentenced to 10 months in prison at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to two breaches of the order, which was imposed following his 2020 conviction for sexual activity with a child.
Under the SHPO, Rogers was prohibited from using unregistered internet-enabled devices or creating online profiles under false names. Prosecutor Ryan Bowen told the court that police monitoring software installed on Rogers’ phone detected activity in group chats under three aliases last November.
Further investigation revealed Rogers had also searched for the MeetMe app on four occasions and admitted using it. Rogers, described by Mr. Bowen as “apologetic,” was arrested, and his phone was seized.
The court heard Rogers has a history of 17 convictions for 35 offences, including breaching court orders and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.
Defence barrister Olivia Rose said Rogers had cooperated fully with police and expressed a desire to change. She argued that his breaches stemmed from a misunderstanding about permitted names and emphasized his efforts to seek support.
Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Catherine Richards noted Rogers’ pattern of reoffending and stated: “The reality is I can only pass an immediate custodial sentence.”
She expressed hope that Rogers would take advantage of post-sentence supervision to break the cycle of offending.
Crime
Police renew appeal to find Darren Markes from Pembroke Dock
POLICE in Pembrokeshire are renewing their appeal for information to locate Darren Markes, 46, from Pembroke Dock. He is wanted in connection with a domestic assault.
Markes is believed to have links to the Portsmouth and Sussex areas.
If you have seen Darren Markes or have any information about his whereabouts, please contact the police through one of the following methods:
- Online: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 101
You can also provide information anonymously via Crimestoppers:
- Phone: 0800 555 111
- Website: crimestoppers-uk.org
Please quote reference number 24*944729 when providing information.
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