In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 54-year-old Simon Thomas—a former MP and Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Member—avoided an immediate prison sentence for the creation and possession of more than 600 indecent images and videos of children. Thomas, of Penparcau, Aberystwyth, appeared at Mold Magistrates’ Court following his arrest in July 2018. It was reported that the investigation established Thomas had utilized an iPad and other digital devices to access the “worst kind” of sexual abuse material, including imagery of children being raped and tortured.
The investigation established that a 6am police raid on Thomas’ home led to the seizure of an iPhone, a Dell laptop, and various USB sticks. The court heard that of the 616 items found, 150 were in the highest Category A, depicting children aged between six and 13. The prosecution reported that Thomas’ internet search history showed direct links to a Russian website notorious for sharing child sex abuse images, proving his access was a deliberate choice rather than an accidental encounter.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Thomas’ conduct represented a “significant fall from grace” for a man who had previously been prominent in public life. The investigation established that Thomas had served as the MP for Ceredigion from 2000 to 2005 and was the Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales until his resignation following his arrest. Thomas’ lawyer claimed that “lonely hours” of public service and “deep-rooted problems” had led him into a digital trap, though District Judge Gwyn Jones noted that his public status was irrelevant to the severity of the crimes.
Judge-led proceedings at Mold Magistrates’ Court concluded with Thomas being handed a 26-week jail sentence, suspended for two years. For his actions in Aberystwyth and across the digital space, he was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years. The judge also imposed a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), noting that while he avoided immediate incarceration, Thomas had caused significant “pain and trauma” to his family and the public he was once elected to represent.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Ceredigion and West Wales, the status of Simon Thomas as of April 8, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: NON-CUSTODIAL (Completed 26-week suspended sentence; sentenced Oct 2018; order expired Oct 2020).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were active until 2025 (Successfully completed 7-year period).
- SHPO Status: Subject to a 7-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (Expires late 2025/early 2026).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or in regulated political roles).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Making indecent images of children; Categories A, B, and C).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Mold Magistrates’ Court; investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police.
- Criminal Record: Resigned as an AM following arrest; Possessed 94 still and 56 moving Category A images; Linked to Russian child abuse domains.
- Origin: Penparcau, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Thomas is managed as a registered sex offender within the Aberystwyth area. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “high-level political profile” and his “access to extreme Category A material”—his management has been a priority for the Dyfed-Powys Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his background as a former librarian and MP provides him with a level of digital literacy that requires consistent monitoring of his electronic devices to ensure total compliance with his statutory orders.
As a registered sex offender, the 54-year-old’s details have been logged on the national police database since his 2018 conviction. Authorities state that his SHPO remains a critical tool for regulating his digital environment and preventing unsupervised contact with minors. Any failure to disclose new digital hardware, any change of residence in Penparcau, or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who used his position of power to mask a pattern of consuming extreme child abuse.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a “former MP” who accessed imagery of the rape of children, do you believe that “Public Office Holders” should be ineligible for suspended sentences for any sexual offence?
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