Merthyr man sentenced for child abuse images and chats

A Merthyr Tydfil man who discussed sexually abusing his fictitious stepdaughter in online conversations with other offenders has been handed a suspended prison sentence after police discovered hundreds of child abuse images on his phone.

Craig Davies, 40, from Lavender Road in Gurnos, came to the attention of South Wales Police after officers monitoring the Kik messenger app identified a user engaging in conversations about sexually abusing children.

During these exchanges, Davies claimed to have a stepson and stepdaughter, speaking explicitly about abusing the girl. Conversations also referenced plans to travel to east London to sexually abuse an 11-year-old child.

Officers arrested Davies and seized his iPhone on 11 October 2024. Forensic examination revealed the Kik app had been deleted, but investigators recovered hundreds of indecent images from the device’s recently deleted folder.

The haul included 132 category A images (the most serious classification), 61 category B images, nine category C images, and 10 extreme pornographic images involving animals. Cardiff Crown Court heard the children depicted ranged in age from five to 16 years old.

Defence barrister Megan Williams told the court there was “nobody in the defendant’s life who was under 18-years-old” and confirmed the stepchildren Davies referenced were entirely fictitious. She revealed her client had suffered physical attacks and vehicle damage as a consequence of the offences becoming public.

The court heard Davies has struggled with cocaine and cannabis addiction for several years, issues he has now acknowledged openly.

Recorder Mark Powell delivered a stern warning during sentencing on Tuesday, stating: “The court does not minimise the severity of your behaviour, these are very serious offences and children are being damaged because of people like you.”

Davies pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images. He received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The sentence includes a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 10 years. Davies has four previous convictions, none similar in nature to these offences.