Cwmbran: Paedophile Paralympian asked ‘girl’ to strip for him

CWMBRAN: PAEDOPHILE PARALYMPIAN ASKED ‘GIRL’ TO STRIP FOR HIM

A PAEDOPHILE Paralympian gold medallist asked a “14-year-old girl” to send him pictures of herself naked in the bath and to strip for him on camera.

Retired swimmer Gareth Duke, 39, from Cwmbran, who won gold in Athens in 2004 and silver in Beijing in 2008, was caught by paedophile hunters in a sting.

The defendant thought he was chatting with a schoolgirl called Mia from Portsmouth online but he was being reeled in by a group called the Child Online Safety Team.

Newport Crown Court heard that he asked her to take the train to Cwmbran so that they could “kiss and cuddle”.

Ben Jones, prosecuting, said: “There was the soliciting of images.

He asked her for photographs in the bath and told her he would show her a good time.

The defendant asked her to strip on camera before the conversations become more graphic.

He told her how she should masturbate.” The Child Online Safety Team contacted the police and the defendant was arrested.

Duke, of Llantarnam Road, Llantarnam admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The offence was committed between May 25 and June 2.

Alice Sykes for Duke said her client is registered blind, needs kidney dialysis three times a week and has just 20 per cent hearing in both ears.

“He has complex health needs and it is considered that he could be managed in the community,” she added.

“The defendant has no previous convictions and he has co-operated with these proceedings.

There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in this case.” Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant told Duke: “There is no doubt that you were aware of the ‘person’s age.

You said that age was just a number.” The judge added: “This was predatory offending and serious criminal behaviour.

You have shown remorse and you have no previous convictions.” Duke was jailed for six months with the sentence suspended for 18 months.

He will have to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay a £154 victim surcharge.

The defendant will have to register as a sex-offender and he was made the subject of a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.