CRAIG LLOYD, NEATH ROAD, HAFOD SWANSEA, CAUGHT WITH SECRET PHONE AND IMAGES OF CHILDREN
In June 2021, a Swansea man was convicted of possessing a hidden phone containing images of children and software designed to erase his internet history.Craig Lloyd, who was previously sentenced in 2019 for attempting to persuade a person he thought was a 12-year-old to engage in sexual acts, received a suspended prison term for breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).
Lloyd’s 2019 sentence included the imposition of a SHPO, which among other restrictions required him to declare all phones to police and to control his internet access.
On an unannounced visit in May this year, police officers questioned Lloyd about electronic devices at his home.
He admitted to owning a Samsung phone purchased the previous year but had not declared it.
During a search, officers recovered the phone and a USB stick.
Lloyd was cautioned and told officers “there might be some stuff” on his phone, as he had been involved in online chats.
Examination of the device revealed it contained software that deleted browsing history and also displayed images of children—though these were of clothed children, not indecent images.
During police interviews, the 37-year-old explained he bought the phone from eBay in October and used it to view pornography, admitting he failed to declare the device.
Craig Anthony Lloyd, of Neath Road, Hafod, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO via video link from prison.
His 2019 conviction involved attempting to communicate sexually with a child and incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity through decoy social media accounts, rather than real girls.
Representing Lloyd, lawyer Matt Murphy stated the breach was "born out of temptation," but emphasized that Lloyd had not been using his phone to engage in harmful communications.
He added that Lloyd had been working with probation during his suspended sentence but required "further intervention." Judge Geraint Walters told Lloyd he had been fortunate to avoid immediate imprisonment in 2019.
Under current Court of Appeal guidelines, the judge said Lloyd would not have received a suspended sentence, calling it his "lucky break".
Despite this, Lloyd committed a "wilful and flagrant" breach of his SHPO, demonstrating "a measure of deviousness" and showing he had learned nothing.
Considering his guilty plea, the judge gave Lloyd a one-third reduction in sentence, sentencing him to 12 months in prison for the breach.
The original 2019 suspended sentence of 12 months was activated in full for an eight-month term, making a total of 20 months in prison.
Lloyd is expected to serve up to half of this before being eligible for release on licence.
The sexual harm prevention order remains active and enforced.
