Prisoner dies at HMP Parc while serving child sex sentence

A 59-year-old man from Swansea has died in custody while serving time for child sex offences.

Gareth Davies, from the Maritime Quarter, was just months into an 18-month sentence when he died at HMP Parc on Wednesday, 27 November.

Davies was convicted in May after a trial where he was found guilty of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Between November and December 2024, he sent sexually explicit messages to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but the account was actually a decoy run as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard how Davies persistently pursued contact with the decoy and even tried to arrange a meeting in person. He was arrested after being confronted by those running the operation.

Despite pleading not guilty, Davies was convicted following trial. Police at the time described the messages as “extremely concerning” and emphasised that his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

An independent investigation has been launched by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman – standard practice whenever someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been disclosed, and a coroner will examine the circumstances.