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The full details of Ian Watkins' child abuse trial, where the former Lostprophets singer pleaded guilty to attempting to rape a baby, have emerged - with a leading police chief calling the case 'the most shocking and harrowing' he'd seen.
Yesterday (Tuesday 26 November, 2013), Watkins appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where he admitted charges of attempting to rape a baby, as well as the sexual assault of a child under 13. He also admitted three counts of sexual assault involving children and six involving taking, making and possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal. However, he denies rape.
The court was told how Watkins had extreme illegal pornography on his computers, had boasted of wanting to blow meth smoke in a baby's face, and even filmed encounters he'd had with 16-year-old Lostprophets fans in school uniforms.
The evidence against the singer was gathered from computers, laptops and mobile phones. Shockingly, The Huffington Post reports that the court was told that the password on a computer recovered for Watkins' possession was protected by the password 'If***kids'.
The court was told that Watkins filmed and kept episodes of abuse with minors - which took place in various hotels in London and South Wales.
Two women aged 21 and 24, who can't be named for legal reasons, were on trial in the dock alongside Watkins. Chris Clee QC, prosecuting said: "Both women sexually abused their own children and made them available to Watkins for him to abuse."
BBC News reports that the court heard that abuse of the children by Watkins and the women parties was revealed in recovered text messages. Watkins sent one message which read: "If you belong to me, so does your baby."
It was claimed that Watkins also planned to "teach" the babies how to take drugs, with Mr Clee said drugs played "a significant part in his offending against children".
Meth, cocaine and GHB were found by police during searches, with Metro reporting that the court was told how Watkins boasted about wanting intoxicate one of his young victims by blowing crystal-meth smoke into the child’s face. Tests then showed that one of the babies had been exposed to the drug.
One of the defendants, known as Woman A, confessed to the attempted rape of a baby after denying rape and two charges of sexual assault and the taking and distributing of an indecent photograph of a child. The third defendant, Woman B, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape a child, three sexual assault charges and four charges of taking, possessing or distributing indecent images.
The court heard that in October 2006, Watkins met a 16-year-old girl from Boston in a hotel - , who he met during during a Lostprophets gig. Dressed in a schoolgirl's outfit, she was filmed by Watkins during their encounter. Watkins again filmed himself having sex with a 16-year-old Lostprophets fan in October 2008.
Speaking outside the court, Det Ch Insp Peter Doyle from South Wales Police said: "This investigation has uncovered the most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I have ever seen.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his celebrity status in order to abuse young children. Today's outcome ensures the three people responsible have been brought to justice. Two very young children have been removed from this abuse and given a future that would otherwise have been denied them.
He added: "The investigation has been extremely complex and challenging with key information and evidence being identified from witnesses worldwide."
Originally 'furiously denying' the claims, Watkins told the police in interviews that he was being stalked by "a crazed fan" and other people had access to his computers - and that he was the "victim of a malicious campaign."
South Wales Police say that Watkins may have had more victims, and are urging anyone with any information to come forward.
Watkins will be sentenced on 18 December, 2013.
