ETHAN RICH FROM CARMARTHENSHIRE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Ethan Rich, aged 24 and residing in Cwmann, Carmarthenshire, has been sentenced to a total of nine years and nine months in prison for a series of serious sexual offences.In addition to his custodial sentence, he will serve an extended three-year license period upon release.
Rich’s criminal history includes being subject to a sexual harm prevention order and being on the sex offenders register for life, following a conviction in August 2020 for offences that bore a striking resemblance to his current charges.
On August 30, Dyfed-Powys Police officers arrived at Rich’s residence, where his mother answered the door.
At the time, Rich was living in a caravan situated at the rear of the property.
When asked by officers whether he had access to mobile phones, Rich did not respond.
His mother encouraged him to tell the truth, prompting Rich to admit that he did possess a phone.
The police also learned that Rich had been staying at an address in Cellan for over seven days between May 28 and July 8 without notifying the authorities.
Following this, Rich was granted bail, and the police registered his phone.
In October, authorities received reports indicating that Rich had been in contact with a 14-year-old girl.
This led to his arrest at his home address.
During the search, officers seized his previously registered phone, and a second phone was also found vibrating nearby.
Both devices were subjected to detailed analysis, revealing that Rich maintained a WhatsApp account under the alias ‘Bob Ross’ and a Snapchat account under a false name.
Investigators discovered that Rich had conducted searches on how to change display names on Snapchat and how to sign into multiple Snapchat accounts on an iPhone.
It was established that Rich was aware the girl was under 16.
The girl had sent him pictures of herself in her school uniform and in her classroom.
The court also heard that Rich had searched for terms such as ‘age of consent,’ ‘young teen,’ and ‘what is a paedophile.’ On his devices, authorities found seven Category A indecent images of the girl.
These included recordings of five video calls between October 1 and 3, during which Rich instructed the girl to perform various sexual acts on herself while he was masturbating on the calls.
The videos depicted a disturbing pattern of grooming and exploitation.
Rich was also charged with breaching his sexual harm prevention order by engaging in communication with an underage girl.
Initially, Rich claimed during police interviews that he believed the girl was 19 years old.
However, he later pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, one count of breaching sex offender notification requirements, possession of indecent images of a child, and five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
In mitigation, prosecutor Georgia Donohue acknowledged that Rich was likely to face a lengthy prison sentence.
She noted that Rich may present as significantly younger than his actual age and that he had recently been diagnosed with ADHD and was receiving support for autism.
Ms Donohue also highlighted that Rich struggled with mental health issues, which may have been worsened by his drug use.
Despite his circumstances, Rich had shown some positive behavior in custody, securing a job as a cleaner and beginning to learn French.
Judge Paul Thomas KC addressed the court, stating, “In the past, you have been subject to orders and courses aimed at reforming you.
Despite significant efforts by the criminal justice system, it appears you have learned little or nothing positive from these interventions.
Your immaturity remains a danger to young girls, as you have not learned your lesson.” Rich will continue to be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must remain on the sex offenders register for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community in Carmarthenshire.
