Craig Anthony Lloyd

Craig Anthony Lloyd, a 37-year-old resident of Swansea, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court for breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed following his 2019 conviction for attempted sexual communication with a child. In 2019, Lloyd had received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months after attempting to incite what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity via online chats with decoy social media accounts. The SHPO required him to declare any electronic devices, including phones, to the police and restricted his internet access to prevent further offences.

The breach came to light in May 2021 when South Wales Police officers conducted an unannounced visit to Lloyd's home on Neath Road, Hafod, Swansea. During the visit, Lloyd admitted to owning a Samsung smartphone purchased from eBay in October 2020, which he had failed to notify the police about as required. Officers seized the device along with a USB memory stick. Upon examination, the phone was found to have software designed to delete internet search history, and it contained pictures of fully clothed children, though not classified as indecent images. Lloyd told officers during his interview that he had used the phone to view pornography and had engaged in online chats, admitting there 'might be some stuff' on it.

Prosecutor Hannah George outlined the details at court, emphasising the 'wilful and flagrant' nature of the breach. Lloyd had pleaded guilty to the offence prior to sentencing, appearing via videolink from prison. His defence advocate, Matt Murphy, described the breach as 'born out of temptation' and noted that Lloyd had not used the phone to communicate with children or individuals he should not. Murphy highlighted that Lloyd had been cooperating with probation services during his suspended sentence but required further intervention.

Judge Geraint Walters remarked that Lloyd had been 'fortunate' to receive a suspended sentence in 2019, stating that under current Court of Appeal guidelines, he would likely have faced immediate custody. The judge criticised Lloyd's actions as showing 'a measure of deviousness' and evidence that he had 'learned nothing' from his prior conviction. Applying a one-third discount for the guilty plea, Judge Walters sentenced Lloyd to 12 months' imprisonment for the SHPO breach and activated eight months of the 2019 suspended sentence to run consecutively, resulting in a total of 20 months in prison. Lloyd will serve up to half this period in custody before release on licence. The SHPO remains in place.

This case was reported by Wales Online on 25 May 2021, based on proceedings at Swansea Crown Court. South Wales Police were responsible for the investigation and monitoring.