PHILLIP STEPHENS CAERDYDD SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT IN POLICE STING AT CARDIFF CENTRAL
In February 2019, a man with a long and disturbing history of sexual offenses was apprehended in a police operation at Cardiff Central railway station.Phillip Stephens, aged 60 and a resident of Daviot Street in Cardiff, was caught attempting to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sexual activity.
The incident highlighted his continued predatory behavior despite previous convictions and ongoing restrictions.
According to court proceedings, Stephens had arranged to meet the girl, who was actually an undercover police officer operating a fake profile on the dating site Meet 24.
He had sent her a highly inappropriate message asking, “Has anyone ever sucked your tits, love?” This message was part of a series of exchanges that quickly became sexualized, despite the girl explicitly stating she was only 13 years old.
The police revealed that the girl, known as Jade, had set up the profile as part of an undercover operation to catch predators.
On the morning of December 18, Stephens initiated contact, asking Jade how she was and what she was looking for.
She responded that she was bored at school.
Prosecutor Jason Howells explained that the conversation rapidly turned explicit, with Stephens making comments about her appearance and asking if she wanted to meet up.
He told her he would buy condoms and pick her up from Cardiff Central station, with plans to have sex at his home before going shopping.
The messages included graphic instructions on how she should play with herself, with Stephens expressing a desire to see her do it and warning her to keep their conversations secret.
Stephens arranged to meet Jade at midday on December 21, providing details about his appearance to help her recognize him.
Unaware that police officers were surveilling the scene, he arrived visibly shaking and admitted, “I knew this was a set-up.” Officers quickly detained him and conducted a search of his residence, seizing electronic devices including a laptop, webcam, and USB sticks.
During police interviews, Stephens chose to remain silent, answering “no comment” to questions posed to him.
His criminal history is extensive.
Court records revealed that Stephens was previously convicted of rape and indecent assault in 1992, serving six years in prison.
He was also sentenced in 2004 to four years and six months for further indecent assault offenses, with an extended license period.
Additionally, he was disqualified for life from working with children.
The court further noted that Stephens was incarcerated again in 2017 for possessing indecent images of children.
At the time of his latest arrest, Stephens admitted to attempting to meet a girl following grooming and to two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
It was also revealed that he was employed on the production line at Memory Lane Cakes, although he no longer had any family living locally.
During sentencing, defense counsel acknowledged Stephens’ long history of offending and his solitary lifestyle, stating that he spends extended periods in solitude and fully accepts his attraction to young girls, despite previous participation in sexual offender rehabilitation programs, which they admitted had been ineffective.
Judge Michael Fitton QC described Stephens’ record as “appalling” and emphasized that he remains a danger to the public.
The judge sentenced him to an extended term of eight and a half years, with a minimum of two-thirds of the sentence to be served before eligibility for parole.
Additionally, Stephens was ordered to serve a five-year license period upon release.
Furthermore, the court imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and mandated that Stephens continue to register as a sex offender for life, underscoring the seriousness of his predatory behavior and the ongoing risk he poses to society.
