Timothy Farrington

A 55-year-old man from Cwmbran, South Wales, suffered a heart attack during his arrest for attempting to sexually exploit children online. Timothy Farrington, a father of three, was confronted by Gwent Police officers at his home in Bagley Court, Thornhill, last summer after falling into a trap set by undercover investigators.

The offences occurred between 3 July 2023 and 15 August 2023. Farrington, using the false name 'James', initiated explicit conversations on social media with two decoys posing as schoolgirls named Jess and Carys, aged 12 and 13. Prosecutor Jeffrey Jones detailed how Farrington requested naked pictures from the profiles, asked one if she was a virgin and if she wanted to 'lose it', and suggested meeting an 'older guy' at Cardiff railway station. He also instructed one decoy to delete their messages and asked another to strip for him during a 'phone sex chat'.

'This sexual communication was graphic, vile and shocking,' Judge Lucy Crowther remarked at Cardiff Crown Court, condemning Farrington's actions. The judge highlighted the disturbing nature of the exchanges, which involved attempts to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with children. Farrington admitted to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child.

• Undercover officers from Gwent Police were investigating online child exploitation.
• Farrington proposed a meeting at Cardiff railway station.
• He inquired about the decoys' sexual experience and requested explicit content.

Mitigating, barrister Harry Baker noted Farrington's poor health, including the heart attack during arrest—his third in recent years—and his need to access his two underage children through social services. Baker requested credit for Farrington's guilty pleas. Despite this, Judge Crowther imposed a custodial sentence, reflecting the severity of the paedophilic behaviour uncovered.

The case, reported by the South Wales Argus on 13 September 2024, underscores ongoing police efforts to combat online grooming. Farrington's arrest followed a proactive operation targeting predators seeking to exploit minors digitally.