NATHAN PEARCE FROM LLANDOVERY FACES JAIL AFTER SEX WITH SCHOOLGIRL AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SCANDAL

In April 2017, the reputation of Nathan Pearce, the manager of the King’s Head hotel in Llandovery, Wales, was severely tarnished following his conviction on multiple serious charges related to sexual misconduct and possession of indecent images of children. The case drew significant media attention, especially given Pearce’s previous appearance on Channel 4’s popular series, Four in a Bed, where hotel owners compete by rating each other’s establishments.

Channel 4 responded swiftly to the revelations, removing all repeats of the episode featuring Pearce from their broadcast schedule and online catch-up platforms. The decision was made after the network was informed of Pearce’s criminal conviction, which involved allegations of sexual activity with a minor and possession of child sexual abuse images.

According to court proceedings at Swansea Crown Court, Pearce, aged 25 at the time, was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. The court heard that Pearce had invited the girl to his hotel room, where they engaged in sexual intercourse. The girl testified that Pearce had invited her into his room at the King’s Head and that they had sex with her consent, although she was underage by approximately six or seven weeks. She also recounted that Pearce had asked her to perform a striptease, which she refused.

During the trial, the girl revealed that Pearce had given her £100 after their encounter, despite her stating she did not want any money. The girl also described their communication via Facebook and text messages, during which Pearce allegedly discussed disabling the hotel’s CCTV cameras and urged her to send explicit photos of herself. Pearce admitted to knowing she was a schoolgirl but claimed he believed she was over 16, possibly in sixth form or college. He maintained that their interaction was limited to sitting on a bed and watching television.

The court also uncovered that Pearce possessed 13 indecent images of children, which were stored on a computer device. The images appeared to be from a professional photo shoot of a girl aged between nine and eleven, with an additional 21 images considered borderline. The court described Pearce’s behavior as repeated offenses, with sexual activity occurring on three separate occasions, and noted that he had shown no remorse.

Judge Ifan Wyn Jones emphasized the gravity of Pearce’s actions, highlighting the significant age difference and the fact that the offenses were not isolated incidents. He pointed out that Pearce’s interest was at least partly motivated by the girl’s age, and he condemned the lack of remorse shown by Pearce. As a result, Pearce was sentenced to 30 months in prison and was also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order to restrict his future conduct.

In the aftermath of the case, Channel 4 confirmed that the episode featuring Pearce would never be broadcast again, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the network’s stance on such conduct. The case has cast a shadow over Pearce’s reputation and raised ongoing concerns about safeguarding and the conduct of individuals in positions of authority within the hospitality industry in Llandovery and beyond.