In 2018, the Offender Database reported that Shaun Alan Smith, then 53, of Glen View, Merlin’s Bridge, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. On Friday, 21 December 2018, Smith was jailed at Swansea Crown Court after attempting to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old schoolgirl with the “sinister” aim of taking her virginity.
The investigation established that Smith contacted a Facebook account that featured a photograph of a 10-year-old child. Although the account was actually being operated by a parent and later by an online paedophile hunter group, Smith believed he was communicating with a young girl. His messages were described as “demanding and controlling,” involving sexual enquiries about the “girl’s” virginity and requests for intimate photographs.
McDonald’s Meeting and Judicial Findings
The court heard that Smith “persistently” groomed the decoy and eventually went to a local McDonald’s restaurant, telling the “girl” he was waiting for her there. Following his arrest, he offered the “absurd” explanation that his enquiries about whether the girl was wearing knickers were intended to “make sure she was properly dressed.” Judge Geraint Walters dismissed these claims as “nonsensical” and stated that Smith was in complete denial of his sexual interest in children.
The prosecution emphasised that Smith’s intentions were clear and that only the intervention of the paedophile hunter group prevented a potential assault on a real child. Smith, a father of four, was reported to have already spent nine weeks in custody on remand prior to his final sentencing. He pleaded guilty to:
- Attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
- Attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his “abhorrent” crimes in Pembrokeshire, Shaun Alan Smith was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 15 months in immediate custody.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were imposed for 10 years.
- SHPO: A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order to limit his access to children and the internet.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Smith is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Dyfed-Powys Police. His history of seeking out children on social media and attempting to arrange physical meetings means his status remains under “critical” scrutiny.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register until 2028, Smith must comply with strict notification requirements regarding his address in Merlin’s Bridge, Haverfordwest. Authorities state that the 10-year SHPO is a necessary measure to protect the public from his predatory behaviour. Any breach of his registration conditions or his digital monitoring terms will result in his immediate return to Swansea Crown Court.
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