DASHING PORT TALBOT PAEDOPHILE DAVID SMITH SENTENCED TO NINE MONTHS IN PRISON
A convicted paedophile has been caught for the third time possessing indecent images, a court has heard.During a police search of his residence, officers discovered a doll-sized sex doll, which the defendant, David Richard Mansel William Lee Smith, stated he used while viewing pornography.
At his previous court appearance, Smith received a suspended sentence.
However, a judge told him there was "no prospect" of rehabilitation following his latest offending.
Swansea Crown Court was told police responded to Smith's Port Talbot home in October last year after information from a paedophile hunter group.
Prosecutor Dean Pulling explained that Smith was arrested on allegations of child grooming and was asked to surrender his internet-enabled devices, which included a phone, a laptop, and a PlayStation console.
Further investigation revealed that Smith, 26, was operating a cannabis grow-up in his bedroom, where he had set up a growing tent, drying tent, lamps, filters, and hydroponic feeding equipment.
Authorities recovered five live plants and three harvested ones.
The court described the setup as "relatively small" but indicative of some knowledge.
Police also found a "doll-sized sex doll" at the property.
The next day, an officer returned to dismantle the cannabis cultivation equipment.
During this process, he heard a phone ringing within the bedroom and discovered another mobile phone on the window sill, which Smith had not disclosed.
Examination of the second phone uncovered two folders containing child abuse videos, including a graphic film over six minutes long depicting a toddler aged between two and four being raped.
In interview, Smith admitted he learned to grow cannabis by watching online videos, spending around £1,000 on equipment and £60 on seeds.
He explained he made cannabis-infused cakes to help with his "low mood" and "lack of focus." He also acknowledged using the sex doll while watching online pornography.
Smith, of Vivian Park Drive, Sandfields, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing indecent images and one count of producing cannabis.
His earlier sentencing saw him receive a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with a rehabilitation requirement, after police found indecent images on his phone in 2016 and 2017.
Officers had also uncovered chats via Skype discussing the sexual abuse of children.
Smith's solicitor, Robert Chudleigh, conceded that a custodial sentence was inevitable but stressed his client’s desire for rehabilitation, citing ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression and limited social activity.
However, Judge Paul Thomas QC expressed serious concern about Smith’s repeated possession of indecent material and, considering his history, concluded there was "no prospect" of rehabilitation.
Consequently, he sentenced Smith to nine months in prison, crediting him for his guilty pleas—one quarter for the indecent images and one-third for the cannabis possession.
Smith is expected to serve up to half of this sentence in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.
He will also be registered as a sex offender for ten years and subject to a sexual harm prevention order restricting his internet access during that period.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Thomas warned Smith: "If you come back before a court again for a similar kind of offending, you will be going to prison for a very long time.
Do you understand?" The court noted that although charges related to grooming were initially pursued following involvement from a paedophile hunting group, those charges were later discontinued.
