Jimmy Tawse

Teenager Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Elderly Women in Swansea

Jimmy Tawse, an 18-year-old resident of Penyrheol Road, Gorseinon, Swansea, has been sentenced to seven years' immediate custody after preying on vulnerable elderly women by impersonating a masseuse and window cleaner. The offences, which occurred in May and June 2024, involved Tawse gaining unauthorised entry into the victims' homes under false pretences, leading to a sexual assault on an 89-year-old woman. The case was heard at Swansea Crown Court, where Judge Geraint Walters described the crimes as 'very serious and concerning offences particularly in the case of a man as young as you. Very very troubling indeed.'

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue detailed how Tawse targeted women who were particularly vulnerable due to their age and living situations. On 15 May 2024, Tawse visited the home of the first 89-year-old victim around 11:30am. Posing as a therapist, he convinced her to go to her bedroom, where he instructed her to remove her top and bra. He then grabbed and squeezed her breasts before touching her thigh and the waistband of her underwear, claiming he was a 'sexual therapist' who had gone to the wrong address. The victim, in her impact statement, expressed profound emotional distress: 'It has impacted me in an emotional way. I don't want to leave the house and feel like people could be watching me in case I go out. I know he is in prison but I just feel like I might see him again. I blame myself for this happening to me.'

• Later that same day, Tawse approached a second 89-year-old woman, telling her he was a masseuse sent by her GP. Although she refused to undress and he left without further assault, her victim impact statement highlighted the lasting fear: 'My confidence has been knocked massively. I'm lucky if I get two hours sleep but before this incident I was okay. I rely a lot on my family. I feel anger at what happened. I have been off my food and lost weight because of this.'
• On 20 June 2024, Tawse knocked on the doors of an 85-year-old woman, claiming to be the son of her regular window cleaner and demanding £55 for unsolicited services. After following her inside, he asked her to 'feel his lump' while gesturing to his groin, constituting an attempted sexual offence alongside fraud.
• The following day, 21 June 2024, he targeted a 63-year-old housebound woman with mobility issues, again posing as a massage therapist and pressuring her to accept a paid session, though no physical assault occurred. She stated: 'I would not have expected this to happen. I am in constant fear I will see him again as he now knows where I live. I don't believe I deserve to be exploited by anyone and I can't be comfortable in my own home.'

In addition to these incidents, Tawse had a prior unrelated encounter with police on 16 February 2024, when he assaulted an emergency worker during a domestic dispute at his family home. Defence barrister Megan Williams noted that Tawse was 17 at the time of the first offences and argued he was using his time in custody productively, including education and employment. However, Tawse pleaded guilty to trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, fraud, and assault of an emergency worker. He had one previous conviction for theft.

The sentencing, reported by Wales Online on 3 November 2025, included indefinite restraining orders for all victims, registration on the sex offenders' register, and a forthcoming sexual harm prevention order. South Wales Police investigated the case, underscoring the exploitation of vulnerable individuals in the community.