PAUL DAVIES FROM NEATH AND PORT TALBOT CAUGHT IN SHOCKING CHILD SEXUAL OFFENSES

In August 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving Paul Davies, a man with connections to both Neath and Port Talbot, who was found to have committed heinous crimes related to child exploitation and abuse. The case was brought to light after Davies was caught in a sting operation conducted by members of an online vigilante group known as Welsh Children Protectors.

Paul James Davies, who was employed as a laboratory technician at a large comprehensive school and also volunteered with St John Ambulance, became the focus of this investigation. Although his professional roles were not directly linked to his criminal activities, the Swansea Crown Court heard that the judge believed it was no mere coincidence that Davies held such positions, given his disturbing sexual interests in minors.

The operation that uncovered Davies’s crimes involved a carefully orchestrated online decoy setup. An adult member of the Welsh Children Protectors created a fake profile on the social media platform Chatiw, pretending to be a 13-year-old girl. This decoy profile was designed to attract potential predators, and it was during this setup that Davies initiated contact in October of the previous year.

According to court proceedings, Davies introduced himself as “Paul from Neath” and began engaging in conversations that quickly turned sexual. The decoy reminded Davies of her real age—13 years old—which appeared to only encourage him further. Over the following weeks, Davies discussed plans to meet the girl, suggesting activities such as going for drives or swimming, and explicitly describing sexual acts he wished to perform on her, as well as acts he wanted her to perform on him.

Despite being reminded of her age, Davies responded with disturbing indifference, stating, “That would not matter to me — I am good at keeping things secret.” The court heard that Davies arranged to meet what he believed was a teenage girl on November 10 but failed to appear at the designated meeting point. Instead, members of the online group went to his house, where his wife answered the door. Police were called to the scene, and during their investigation, they seized electronic devices, including a Samsung mobile phone hidden under a bush in Davies’s garden.

Forensic analysis of the phone revealed hundreds of images, including three films classified as Category A—representing the most extreme form of child abuse. One of these films depicted a girl estimated to be between five and seven years old being raped by adult men. The majority of the images could not be definitively categorized, but their presence was deeply troubling. Police also discovered chat logs from platforms such as Kik, WhatsApp, and Skype, showing that Davies had been engaging in sexually explicit conversations with multiple young girls dating back to January 2016.

In one exchange, Davies claimed he was on duty with St John Ambulance at an event in Neath while messaging a girl. Further evidence showed that he had sent one of the illicit images from his phone to another individual involved in child exploitation.

Originally from Neath and now residing on Forge Road in Port Talbot, Davies had previously pleaded guilty to charges including attempting to incite a child to commit a sexual act, three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of distributing such images. His guilty plea was entered during the sentencing hearing.

Representing Davies, solicitor Paul Hobson acknowledged the profound damage caused by his client’s actions, stating that Davies’s life was “now in ruins,” including the loss of his marriage, and that he had brought “utter disgrace” upon himself.

Judge Paul Thomas QC addressed Davies directly, emphasizing that the images and films found on his devices depicted real children being abused and raped. The judge highlighted the broader impact of such material, noting that it fuels a global market that results in the suffering and destruction of young lives worldwide. He also pointed out that Davies’s employment at a school and his volunteer work with St John Ambulance were not coincidental but indicative of a predatory nature, leading to the label of “predatory paedophile.”

In sentencing, Davies received four months in prison for each of the image-related charges, with all sentences to run concurrently, totaling four months. An additional four months was imposed for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual acts, to be served consecutively, bringing the total custodial time to eight months. He will serve half of this time in custody before being released on licence. Furthermore, Davies was subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting his access to children and regulating his internet use. He will also be registered as a sex offender for the same period, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.