ROGER PERCIVAL FROM HOWEY NEAR LLANDRINDOD WELLS ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD AND ANIMAL SEXUAL IMAGE SCANDAL

In June 2021, a man from Howey, near Llandrindod Wells, faced serious allegations related to the possession of illegal and highly disturbing images. Roger Percival, aged 40, was brought before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court where he admitted to possessing numerous prohibited images, including those involving children and animals. Despite the gravity of the charges, Percival was handed a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for a period of two years, meaning he would not serve time unless he committed further offenses within that timeframe.

The court heard that Percival was found in possession of a total of 53 images classified into different categories based on their severity. Among these, two were categorized as Category A, representing the most serious type involving children. Additionally, he possessed five images classified as Category B and 45 images falling under Category C. Beyond these, authorities discovered nine extreme and prohibited images depicting sexual acts with a horse, which is considered a serious animal abuse offense.

Percival, who resides at Mill View Close in Howey, pleaded guilty to five separate charges during an earlier hearing in April. These charges included three counts of possessing indecent images of children, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and one count of possessing explicit images involving animals. The prosecutor, Craig Jones, explained that the investigation was initiated after police officers visited Percival’s home on April 21 of the previous year, following a tip-off from a woman who had seen a DVD he showed her.

According to Mr. Jones, the woman observed a video featuring a young girl, approximately ten years old, being sexually assaulted by an adult male. She requested Percival to turn off the DVD, which he did, claiming it was an illegal recording. Acting on her information, police obtained a search warrant and raided Percival’s residence. During the search, officers seized a variety of electronic devices, including laptops, computer towers, tablets, mobile phones, and media storage devices. The investigation revealed that, although not illegal in themselves, the property contained numerous homemade DVDs of a sexual nature and a video production setup.

Further examination of Percival’s online activity uncovered searches for terms such as ‘Lolita pre-teens,’ ‘little models,’ and ‘young porn,’ indicating a disturbing interest in material of a sexualized nature involving minors. It was also noted that Percival had prior convictions, including a 2018 case related to indecent material, for which he served a short prison sentence. The court requested the forfeiture and destruction of all relevant digital and physical evidence.

Judge Twomlow, presiding over the case, decided to suspend Percival’s prison sentence for two years, contingent upon his compliance with certain conditions. These included completing the Horizon programme, a rehabilitation course, and a 20-day activity requirement as directed by probation services. Additionally, Percival was prohibited from engaging in any regulated activity involving children. The judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order lasting ten years, which restricts Percival from certain behaviors, particularly related to computers and communicating with minors under 18 on social media platforms. The order emphasized that any breach could result in a prison sentence of up to five years, underscoring the seriousness of the court’s measures to protect vulnerable individuals from potential harm.