DECLAN HATTON AND SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENCE IN GWENT

A disturbing case involving the grooming of a young girl by a paedophile has come to light in Gwent. Declan Hatton, a 30-year-old man from Ebbw Vale, was found guilty of serious sexual offences against a minor after a trial at Newport Crown Court. The investigation revealed that Hatton had engaged in online communication with a girl he believed was just 12 years old, but in reality, the individual was an undercover police officer operating a decoy to catch individuals like him.

The police had set up an elaborate operation to apprehend online predators, creating a Kik group chat that included a fake profile. This profile employed a false image and claimed to be a 19-year-old gardener from Blackwood, another town within the Gwent area. It was part of an undercover campaign to identify and catch offenders attempting to exploit minors via social media platforms. Hatton created his own fake account on Kik to contact the decoy, under the impression he was interacting with a vulnerable young girl.

According to the court proceedings, Hatton eventually moved the conversation into a private chat with the decoy, named Layla, who was not a real child but a police decoy. During their exchanges, Hatton was recorded asking Layla to perform sexual acts on herself and attempted to persuade her to watch sexually explicit videos. Prosecutor Heath Edwards presented evidence indicating that Hatton explicitly told Layla to keep their communications secret and warned her not to disclose anything until she turned 16.

The court heard that Hatton’s actions took place over a week from May 10 to May 17, 2021. He was accused of multiple criminal offences, including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to induce a girl under 13 to perform sexual acts, and attempting to persuade a child to watch sexually explicit images. The jury found Hatton guilty of all three charges after the trial.

Throughout the proceedings, Hatton’s legal representative, Nicholas Gedge, highlighted that his client had no prior convictions for similar crimes. Gedge remarked that the only previous legal issue Hatton had involved a minor traffic violation for driving without due care and attention. Additionally, in his pre-sentence report, Hatton maintained his innocence and was assessed as posing a low risk of reoffending.

Gedge further described Hatton as a diligent worker who helped in his father’s haulage business, emphasizing that there was little evidence of premeditation or detailed planning behind his actions. Despite this, the court’s judge, Daniel Williams, was clear in his verdict. He stated that Hatton was aware that Kik was a platform popular among children and that his profile was deceptive—claiming to be a 19-year-old gardener from Blackwood.

Judge Williams sentenced Hatton to three years in prison. In addition to his custodial sentence, Hatton is required to register as a sex offender for life. He was also subjected to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will need to pay a victim surcharge as part of his sentencing. The court’s ruling reflects the seriousness of his actions and the ongoing efforts to protect minors from online sexual exploitation in the Gwent region.