Crime

Monkton paedophile caught with software to wipe internet history from phone jailed

Published

4 years ago

March 11, 2022

A PEMBROKESHIRE MAN was caught with internet-wiping software on his phone and an email account in a false name just months after walking out of court for a sexual offence banning him from such activity.

Convicted sex offender Anthony Stephen Joshua Coombes, of Colley Court, Monkton, has been handed down a suspended sentence last year after being convicted of engaging in sexually explicit conversations with what he believed were 12 and 14-year-old girls, possessing indecent images of a child, and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. Sending the 22-year-old to prison, a judge said he did not believe the defendant had any intention of abiding by court orders.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on the morning of February 4 this year police went to Coombes’ home and asked to see his electronic devices. The defendant handed over a Huawei mobile, and the officer noticed it only had that day’s internet history in the browser history. A detailed examination of the handset found the phone contained an app which had a data-erasing function, and that Coombes had an email account in the name of “Bennypern”. The defendant is banned from erasing his internet history or using aliases when setting up an email account by a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

In his subsequent interview the defendant said he didn’t know he was not allowed to delete his online history and said the cleaning app had come with the phone which he had bought second-hand. He accepted he had created the alias email address but said this was only for use on his X-Box games console.

Anthony Stephen Joshua Coombes, of Colley Court, Monkton, Pembroke, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions of a (SHPO) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard that in October 2021 Coombes was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court to 12 months in prison suspended for two years for attempted sexual communication with a child, possessing indecent images of a child, and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. These offences had seen Coombes contacting what he believed were two girls aged 12 and 14 on a site called Chat Hour, and engaging in sexual conversations with them before asking for intimate photographs.

In reality the profiles of the girls were decoy accounts being run by adult members of so-called paedophile hunter groups, and the woman running one of the decoys contacted the police after she found Coombes’ Facebook page and discovered he had been befriending real young girls. When the defendant was arrested officers found two indecent images of girls ages between eight and 12 on his phone which had been downloaded from the Kik messenger app. The court heard that after pleading guilty to these offences in August last year the case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report – Coombes was released on bail but then failed to register with police as he was required to do as a sex offender.

The prosecutor said the defendant also has a conditional caution from 2017 – when he was a juvenile – for offences of attempting to incite a child to engage in a penetrative sexual activity and sending indecent images after he admitted sending pictures and videos of his penis to girls aged 14 and 15.

Judge Paul Thomas QC said it was clear to him that Coombes had no intention of complying with requirements of the SHPO.

The judge sentenced him to eight months in prison for breaching the order and activated 10 months of the suspended sentence, making an total prison sentence of 18 months.

The SHPO will remain in place.

Crime

Carmarthenshire pensioner, 86, accused of causing prostitution for gain

Published

4 minutes ago

June 20, 2026

Court Reporter

AN 86-YEAR-OLD Carmarthenshire pensioner has appeared before magistrates accused of causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

Hywel Charles, of Rhandirfelin, Llanelli, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Jun 18).

Charles is charged under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 with intentionally causing or inciting another person to become a prostitute for, or in expectation of, gain for himself.

The allegation relates to an incident said to have taken place at Llanelli on October 9, 2025.

Complainant protected

The complainant in the case is protected by automatic anonymity under the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 1992.

Charles appeared before District Judge M Layton at a ground rules hearing.

He was represented by John Allchurch, of Goldstones Solicitors, while Nia James prosecuted for CPS Wales.

The defendant was remanded on conditional bail.

He must not contact a named person directly or indirectly.

Charles is due to appear again at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 6, for a further case management hearing.

Crime

Children most at risk in Dyfed-Powys TikTok-linked crime cases

Published

14 minutes ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FOI data reveals forty-two under-18 victims as police record more than 130 incidents mentioning the platform

CHILDREN were the largest group of victims in Dyfed-Powys crimes where TikTok was mentioned, new Freedom of Information figures have revealed.

Data obtained by JF Law shows that Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 131 TikTok-linked violence, stalking and harassment offences between 2023 and 2025.

Of those, forty-two victims were under the age of eighteen.

Pembrokeshire recorded 32 incidents over the three-year period, with eight in 2023, thirteen in 2024 and eleven in 2025.

Across the force area, Carmarthenshire recorded the highest number of incidents, with 51. Powys recorded 29 and Ceredigion recorded thirteen.

Stalking and harassment made up the vast majority of the Dyfed-Powys cases, accounting for 128 of the 131 offences. Three were recorded as violence with injury.

Wales-wide concern

The figures were obtained through Freedom of Information requests covering Welsh police forces.

South Wales Police recorded the highest number, with 2,034 crimes where TikTok or Tik Tok was mentioned in police records between 2023 and 2025.

Those figures rose from 488 in 2023 to 656 in 2024 and 890 in 2025.

Gwent Police recorded 373 incidents, while North Wales Police recorded 199.

The North Wales data included cases of harassment, malicious communications, blackmail, sexual grooming, sexual activity involving a child under sixteen, exposure and voyeurism, and threats to kill.

Police forces stressed that the figures do not mean TikTok caused the crimes. The data relates to cases where the platform was mentioned in the modus operandi field or investigation summary.

‘Digital hunting ground’

Ellie Lamey, a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority specialist at JF Law, said: “The sheer volume of these cases is a stark warning to parents and authorities alike.

“We are seeing everyday platforms being weaponised by predators to target our youngest and most vulnerable, turning what should be a harmless online space into a digital hunting ground.

“The trauma inflicted by cyber-stalking, harassment, and online-facilitated abuse has profound, real-world consequences that can completely shatter a family’s sense of security.”

She added: “It is crucial that victims know there are concrete legal avenues available to fight back.

“Nobody should have to navigate this nightmare in silence, and we are committed to helping survivors secure the protection, justice, and support they need to move forward.”

JF Law provides legal support and advice to those affected by online harassment, abuse and related crimes. Their website is www.jflaw.co.uk.

Crime

Man accused of Currys theft spree linked to Haverfordwest store

Published

23 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Defendant remanded in custody as court hears allegations spanning Wales and South West England

A MAN accused of carrying out a series of high-value thefts from Currys stores across Wales and South West England has appeared before magistrates in connection with an alleged offence in Haverfordwest.

Ilia Patchkoria, aged 27, of no fixed abode, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court facing multiple theft allegations involving electrical goods worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Among the charges is an allegation that Patchkoria stole items worth £1,525 from the Currys store in Haverfordwest on May 23 this year.

The court heard that the Haverfordwest incident forms part of a wider series of alleged offences said to have taken place at Currys stores across Wales and England.

Other charges relate to alleged thefts at stores in Carmarthen, Barnstaple, Plymouth, Truro, Penzance and Torquay. The total value of the goods involved in the various allegations runs into many thousands of pounds.

According to the court register, the largest single alleged theft took place at the Carmarthen branch, where goods valued at more than £7,600 are said to have been taken.

Patchkoria indicated guilty pleas to some matters before the court. Magistrates ordered that he be remanded in custody while proceedings continue.

The case has been adjourned until July 2, when it is due to return before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court.

It is not yet known precisely what items were allegedly taken from the Haverfordwest store, although Currys outlets typically stock a range of high-value electrical goods including laptops, mobile phones, gaming consoles and household technology.

No verdicts have been reached in relation to the outstanding allegations.

The Herald has approached Currys for comment on the alleged Haverfordwest theft and to establish whether the incident caused any disruption to customers or store operations.

Photo caption: Currys in Haverfordwest was among several stores allegedly targeted in a cross-country theft spree (Pic: Herald).