Emyr Edwards

Emyr Edwards, a 36-year-old man from Gorslas, Carmarthenshire, has been imprisoned for his involvement in the possession and distribution of child sex abuse images. Appearing at Swansea Crown Court, Edwards pleaded guilty to charges of making and distributing indecent images of children, specifically one Category A image, two Category B images, and one Category C image, between June 2022 and April 2023.

The court heard that Edwards conducted deliberate searches for serious abuse material and boasted about being part of a network sharing such content. Prosecutor Sian Cutter detailed how Edwards distributed a Category A video to three individuals, one of whom reported him to the police, leading to his arrest. The images were described by Judge Paul Thomas KC as 'the vilest possible kind', involving young boys being raped for the sexual gratification of offenders like Edwards.

During sentencing, Edwards claimed he had no sexual interest in children, a defence dismissed by the judge as 'hopeless' and 'wholly unconvincing'. Judge Thomas stated, 'In many years of hearing and sitting in crown courts, I have never listened to a more hopeless, wholly unconvincing account. Your account made no sense whatsoever. You are a committed paedophile.' A Newton Hearing rejected Edwards' basis of plea, confirming the severity of his actions.

Edwards' defence, represented by James Hartson, highlighted his previous clean character, unrelated acquitted allegations causing stress, and possible 'braggadocio' in messages about the network. Despite a two-year delay in the case, Edwards was sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment. He was also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years and subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

This case was reported by the South Wales Guardian, with details emerging from the court proceedings at Swansea Crown Court. Dyfed-Powys Police investigated the matter following the tip-off.