School Chaplain Sentenced for Child Abuse Images

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Samuel Erlandson (Image by BBC Wales)

Last Updated: January 27, 2025

A former school chaplain and rector has received a suspended jail sentence after being found with indecent images of children and extreme pornography on his mobile phone.

Samuel Erlandson, 36, from Ruabon, Wrexham, admitted possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court. The court heard that “extremely disturbing” images of young children were discovered on his device.

Prosecutor Alys Haf told the court that Erlandson was “a trusted man in society” who had officiated at weddings before his arrest in November.

Defence lawyer David Jones acknowledged his client’s breach of trust, stating: “He clearly has let down a lot of people, his employers, children and his family. He’s been dealing with an addiction for many years.”

District Judge Gwyn Jones imposed a 32-week suspended sentence, ordering Erlandson to complete 160 hours of unpaid work and register as a sex offender for ten years.

“Offences of this nature are very, very serious in there are real children depicted in these images,” Judge Jones stated. “The matter is made worse by virtue of your position within the community.”

St. David’s College, where Erlandson served as chaplain, said: “We are deeply shocked and distressed by the news.”

The Church in Wales responded: “We are appalled and saddened that one of its clerics has committed such serious offences. There is no place for any form of abuse in the Church in Wales. We give the highest priority to the care and protection of children and vulnerable people in our communities. To this end we regularly review our safeguarding procedures and provide extensive training to staff and volunteers.”

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