ROBERT BOLTON'S SHOCKING REIGN OF PREDATION IN MERTHYR TYDFIL AND SWANSEA

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Merthyr Tydfil and Swansea, Robert Bolton, a man with a long history of sexual offenses against children, has once again demonstrated his dangerous tendencies shortly after being released from prison. The court proceedings have revealed a pattern of predatory behavior that persisted despite his previous convictions and legal restrictions.

In March 2019, Bolton, aged 45 and a father of six, was found to have engaged in illicit online activities targeting young girls. Just weeks after completing a 12-month sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in January 2018 for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following sexual grooming, Bolton secretly acquired a smartphone—a device he was explicitly banned from possessing. This act marked the beginning of a new chapter in his troubling pattern of behavior.

Using the new device, Bolton accessed the Meet4U website, a platform known for facilitating meetings between adults and minors. On February 1, he initiated contact with a profile created by a paedophile hunter group, posing as a 13-year-old girl named Jodie. Unbeknownst to Bolton, he was communicating with members of a vigilant group dedicated to catching sexual offenders. Despite this, Bolton engaged in a series of highly inappropriate exchanges, sending hundreds of sexual messages, explicit photographs, and even an audio recording of himself performing a sex act.

The court heard that Bolton told the decoy that he liked that she was 13 and warned her not to tell anyone about their interactions, implying that disclosure would lead to his imprisonment and her being taken into care. He also expressed a desire to run away to Scotland with her, further demonstrating his intent to pursue a sexual relationship with a minor. Bolton demanded that she send him a Valentine’s Day card with the word “boyfriend” written on it and asked her intimate questions about her personal life, sharing graphic details of sexual activity.

Despite the decoy’s clear indication that she was only 13, Bolton persisted, telling her not to tell anyone and warning her of the consequences if she did. He arranged to meet her at Swansea train station, instructing her to book a B&B in the city. However, when Bolton arrived at the designated meeting point, he was immediately suspicious of a group of individuals he suspected to be paedophile hunters. Fearing detection, he left the scene.

Subsequently, the group tracked him to the hostel where he was staying. When they approached him, Bolton fled the scene but was quickly located by his probation officer, who found him fiddling with a smartphone. Bolton then discarded the device in a nearby bin before being arrested. Further investigations revealed that Bolton had been communicating online with two other young girls, who were also decoys operated by the same paedophile hunter group.

Bolton, of The Strand, Swansea, admitted to multiple charges, including breaching a sexual harm prevention order, attempting to meet a girl following sexual grooming, and attempting to communicate with minors with the intent of encouraging sexual activity. His criminal record is extensive, with 28 previous convictions for 49 offenses, primarily related to violence, public order, and dishonesty. His last conviction before this incident was for the sexual offense committed in Merthyr Tydfil in 2018.

Judge Geraint Walters expressed his profound concern over Bolton’s actions, stating it was “beyond belief” that mere weeks after his release from prison, he had engaged in such relentless pursuit of children for sexual purposes. The judge emphasized that Bolton was a dangerous offender and posed a significant risk to children, capable of causing substantial harm. He described Bolton as a “committed paedophile” and ordered an extended six-year prison sentence, along with a further three years of extended license. Bolton was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, and the existing sexual harm prevention order was amended to run concurrently for the same period.

In a related case from January 2018, Bolton was sentenced for grooming a child online. He had contacted what he believed was a 12-year-old girl, but in reality, he was speaking to a decoy from the Welsh Child Protectors. Bolton, working as a cleaner in Merthyr Tydfil and a father himself, initiated contact and sent highly sexual and explicit messages. He arranged to meet the decoy but was intercepted by members of the child protection group, who recorded his actions before alerting police. Bolton admitted to the charges of sexual communication with a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming, leading to a 12-month prison sentence, half of which he is to serve, and a 10-year registration on the sex offenders’ register.