In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Graham Phillips, 34, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Swansea Magistrates’ Court following a traumatic incident outside a Co-op store in Clydach. Phillips targeted an 11-year-old primary school girl by using his dog to lure her attention before exposing himself to her in broad daylight.
The court heard that on February 4, 2019, the victim was shopping with her mother at the Co-op on High Street. While her mother was paying at the till, the girl noticed a black Staffordshire bull terrier outside the shop. The paedophile drew the girl toward the dog before exposing his genitals. The child was so terrified that she fled back into the store, physically prising the automatic doors apart when they failed to open fast enough. She did not feel safe enough to disclose the ordeal to her mother until several hours later.
Phillips, who has a prolific criminal record consisting of 25 convictions for 38 offences, initially denied the act during police interviews. However, he was rumbled when South Wales Police officers presented him with CCTV footage from the store that clearly captured the incident. The victim’s mother provided a statement to the court, expressing her anger that a primary school student had to witness such “depraved” behaviour in a public space.
On Wednesday, May 15, 2019, Graham Phillips was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison. The magistrates noted that the offence caused a “great deal of stress and anxiety” to the young victim. Phillips was also ordered to pay £300 in compensation to the girl, a £150 victim surcharge, and court costs.
As a result of his conviction for a sexual offence against a child, Phillips was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period determined by the court (typically seven years for this length of custodial sentence). South Wales Police will manage him under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), which will monitor his residency and conduct to protect the community from his repeated pattern of criminal behaviour.
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