A 31-year-old man, Liam Lewis, has been jailed at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court today after being found guilty of attempting to engage in sexual contact with a minor and attempting to organise or aid the commission of a child sex offence, specifically rape or assault by penetration of a child under 13.
Liam Lewis of Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taff, has received a sentence of three years and nine months imprisonment. He is also under a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.
Subsequent to the sentencing, Detective Constable Isaac Gott of Tarian, the regional organised crime section for southern Wales, stated:
“Liam Lewis is a sexual predator who preyed on the vulnerability of someone he believed was a child for his own deviant interests.
“He was identified by Tarian as having arranged to meet who he believed to be a child under 13 to sexually abuse and rape. He had offered to supply the child with crack cocaine and incited them to engage in penetrative sexual activity. It was also established he had sent sexual videos during communication with the child.
“On October 21 last year detectives from Tarian executed a warrant at an address in Porth, Rhondda where Lewis was found and arrested. He was charged during his time in custody and remanded into custody.
“Following his guilty pleas Lewis has now been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
“He will also be managed as a sex offender upon his release.
“If your child has an online presence, please make it your business to ensure appropriate security settings are activated, be aware of the applications they use and be alert that they may be talking to strangers.
“Tackling online child sexual exploitation is a national priority for UK law enforcement. Tarian will continue to work with partner agencies across the UK and internationally to safeguard children and bring offenders to justice. We will relentlessly pursue high harm offenders and ensure they have their day in Court.”
Anyone who is concerned about the online activity of their child should contact the police on 101 and report any suspicious behaviour and activity.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.