JEFFREY GRAVELL SHOCKS LLANELLI WITH CHILD SEX ABUSE AND THEFT AT COEDCAE SCHOOL

In April 2012, Jeffrey Gravell, a school IT manager from Burry Port, Llanelli, was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of possessing an astonishing number of indecent images of children and stealing computer equipment from Coedcae Comprehensive School. Gravell, aged 54, had served at the school in Llanelli for over ten years, during which time he built a reputation as a dedicated staff member. However, his life took a dark turn when police uncovered a vast library of illegal material and a significant theft involving multiple computer loads.

The case, which was heard at Swansea Crown Court earlier that year, revealed that Gravell possessed at least 390,000 indecent images of children. This figure represented the largest collection of such material ever discovered by Dyfed-Powys Police in a single investigation. The images were categorized into various severity levels, with the majority falling into the less serious category one, but between 6,000 and 7,000 images were classified as more serious categories four and five. The court was told that Gravell’s possession of these images contributed to a market that perpetuated harm to children.

In addition to the possession of illegal images, Gravell was convicted of theft related to computer equipment found at his residence in September 2010. Police investigations traced the stolen items back to the school, where CCTV footage showed Gravell leaving the premises at 1 a.m. on August 4, 2010, carrying computer hardware. It was estimated that five van loads of equipment were needed to transport the stolen items, a fact confirmed by Kenneth Morris, the school’s caretaker, during the trial. The police also found a large quantity of computers and related equipment at Gravell’s home, which he appeared to have hoarded rather than sold.

During the trial, Gravell denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he had a medical condition called balanitis xerotica obliterans, which caused painful sexual intercourse and diminished his interest in pornography. He also suggested that the images found on his computers might have originated from the school network, although no evidence supported this claim. Prosecutor Jim Davis indicated that a confiscation order for £22,759 would be sought for the stolen equipment, but the court adjourned this matter for later consideration.

Judge Christopher Vosper QC sentenced Gravell to two years in prison, emphasizing the breach of trust involved in his crimes. The judge also ordered Gravell to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. While acknowledging Gravell’s lack of previous convictions and his prior volunteer work as a coastguard, the judge condemned his actions as a severe violation of moral and legal boundaries. He criticized Gravell for attempting to shift suspicion onto others during the trial and highlighted CCTV footage that clearly showed him leaving the school with stolen property.

Gravell’s partner, Helen Griffiths, a 47-year-old secretary, was acquitted of a single charge of joint theft. She was present at the sentencing hearing in the courtroom’s public gallery. The court’s findings underscored the disturbing scale of Gravell’s illegal activities, with the majority of images being in the less serious categories but still numbering in the thousands, and a significant portion in the more severe categories. The investigation was initiated after the school’s former head teacher, Peter Spencer, noticed missing computers in the summer of 2010. The subsequent police inquiry uncovered the extent of Gravell’s theft and possession of illegal images, revealing a man whose reputation was now in ruins and whose actions had caused profound concern within the Llanelli community.