ABERYSTWYTH AND LLANON OFFENDERS IFAN EVANS AND STEPHEN BROWN INDICTED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a disturbing case heard at Swansea Crown Court, two men from the regions of Aberystwyth and Llanon have been implicated in the possession and distribution of indecent images involving children, specifically those based on hentai-style cartoons originating from Japan.

One of the accused, 31-year-old Ifan Evans from Brynawel, Cross Inn, Llanon, was already under scrutiny for previous offenses related to similar material. At the time of his latest arrest, Evans was serving a community order that had been imposed due to earlier convictions for possessing indecent images of children. Despite this, he was found to have continued his illicit activities, which led to further charges.

Evans pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that had been issued in February 2015. This order was specifically designed to restrict his access to such material and to prevent further offenses. The court was informed that Evans had committed a total of 14 offenses related to indecent images prior to this case.

Alongside Evans, Stephen Brown, aged 30 and residing on Terrace Road in Aberystwyth, also faced serious charges. Brown admitted to two counts of possessing child pornography, which included images of a girl approximately five years old and a significant number of hentai-style cartoons, totaling 790. These images were discovered during police investigations into Evans’s activities.

During the proceedings, Judge Paul Thomas expressed concern over Evans’s ongoing offending behavior. He indicated that he needed additional time to determine the appropriate sentence, especially considering Evans’s history and the fact that he was already subject to a community order. As a result, Evans was remanded into custody and will face sentencing on the following Tuesday.

In contrast, Stephen Brown was sentenced immediately. The judge imposed a three-year community order, requiring Brown to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities and perform 150 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, Brown was issued a sexual harm prevention order that restricts his access to children and limits his use of computers and internet-enabled devices. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender with the police.

Prosecutor Stephen Rees provided further details, explaining that police had conducted periodic checks on Evans following his 2015 conviction. On November 19, 2016, officers noticed suspicious cartoon-like images on Evans’s computer. However, when they returned for a follow-up, the images had been deleted, which was a violation of the SHPO that Evans was ordered not to breach. Evans initially denied downloading the images, claiming that Brown had access to his computer.

Further investigation revealed that Brown’s computer contained indecent images of a young girl and hundreds of hentai-style cartoons similar to those Evans had been viewing. The court was told that these findings indicated a troubling interest in material involving young children, raising serious concerns about their safety.

Judge Thomas emphasized the gravity of the offenses, warning Brown that any breach of his community order would result in imprisonment. He expressed his concern about the nature of the images, stating, “These images may have been real or otherwise but they show you have an interest in young children and that is very worrying for the courts. We have to protect the public and you are close to needing a prison sentence.”