Gareth Morgan Jones, a Llwyncelyn Paedophile who resorted to online chat forums during lockdown as his sole connection to the outside world has been granted a reprieve from an imminent prison sentence after being found “unequivocally” guilty of child sex offences.
On Thursday, September 12, Gareth Morgan Jones was informed at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that mitigating considerations, including his mental health concerns, were ‘within a hair’ of allowing the court to impose a suspended jail sentence.
Gareth Morgan Jones, a 64-year-old individual from Newbridge-on-Wye previously refuted five charges, including sexually conversing with minor females and seeking to engage them in sexual conduct, but was convicted of five counts during his trial in August.
Gareth Morgan Jones communicated with three girls who told him they were 12 or 13 in summer 2021. In fact, they were adults posing as children in online chat rooms.
Gareth Morgan Jones sent sexually explicit images and requested naked pictures of the girls.
Prosecuting, Ms Alice Sykes said that during his trial, Gareth Morgan Jones of Llwyncelyn attempted to convince the jury that he was ‘engaging in fantasy or role play’ and that he knew his conversations were with decoys, but this was rejected.
Ms Sykes said his chats involved him asking two of the girls to engage in sexual activity and solicitation of images of themselves.
The Gareth Morgan Jones trial continues.
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