YSTRADGYNLAIS FOSTER CARER CHRISTOPHER PURNELL EXPOSED AS LIFELONG PAEDOPHILE IN SWANSEA VALLEY

In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples through the community of Ystradgynlais and the wider Swansea Valley, Christopher Purnell, a 62-year-old man once celebrated as a dedicated foster carer, has been publicly exposed as a lifelong paedophile. The disturbing details emerged during a court case at Swansea Crown Court, where Purnell was found guilty of a series of heinous crimes spanning over three decades.

It was revealed that Purnell, who had previously held the position of chairman of his local foster carers association and had even established a helpline aimed at assisting children in distress, was in fact the perpetrator of the very suffering he was supposed to prevent. The jury was told that Purnell had been actively downloading child abuse images up until just days before his arrest, with police uncovering evidence of his internet activity that dated back to 1982.

The court heard that police computer experts traced Purnell’s online searches, which included terms such as “teenage nudist,” “boys in licra tights,” and “boys in boxers.” These searches, the prosecution argued, were not related to the naturist book Purnell claimed he was researching, a book that was ultimately never published. Purnell had denied the charges, insisting that his online activity was purely for research purposes.

However, the evidence painted a far more sinister picture. One of Purnell’s victims recounted how he had been photographed naked by Purnell when he was a young boy. The victim explained that Purnell had told him he had a client willing to pay large sums of money for explicit photographs, and that he had been coerced into posing under the threat of being placed in a remand home. The victim described how Purnell repeatedly asked for more photographs, claiming the initial ones were not valuable enough, and how he had threatened him to ensure compliance.

Further testimonies revealed that Purnell had taken advantage of his position in fostering to manipulate and exploit young boys. One teenage boy was reportedly intoxicated by Purnell, waking up the next morning without his pyjamas and feeling “really bad.” Purnell’s manipulative tactics extended to boasting about his influence within the local social services department, suggesting he wielded considerable power in his community.

Police investigations uncovered that Purnell’s criminal activity was not limited to online searches and photographs. On January 28, 2012, at 3:31 am, one of his computers was found to have downloaded child abuse images, a few days before his arrest. This was particularly disturbing given that his wife, Susan, was asleep in bed at the time, unaware of his illicit activities.

The court proceedings also revealed that Purnell’s offending history stretched back to 1982, when he indecently assaulted a young boy, an offence for which he was convicted. Over the years, he continued to commit similar crimes, including making indecent photographs of a child in 2012 and committing 20 other related offences in between.

After the jury returned guilty verdicts on 22 counts, one of Purnell’s victims expressed a sense of betrayal and injustice. “No-one could say anything against him in those days, he was a champion of fostering. And no-one was going to believe what I had to say,” the victim stated. “He was always going on about he was chairman of this, chairman of that. At the age he assaulted me, it is very worrying, and I accepted what I was told. Now, Purnell is where he belongs, in jail,” he added, emphasizing the community’s relief that justice has finally been served.