SION THOMAS SHOCKINGLY REVERTS TO OFFENDING IN GWYNEDD AFTER SUSPENDED SENTENCE
A convicted sex offender from Gwynedd who was under a suspended prison sentence has once again engaged in illicit activities, this time involving the possession of indecent images on the Kik messaging app.The individual, identified as Sion Wyn Thomas, aged 43, sent messages to an individual he believed shared similar sexual interests.
Unbeknownst to Thomas, this contact was actually an undercover officer from the Metropolitan Police.
During the investigation, authorities discovered small-sized women’s clothing and underwear inside Thomas’s vehicle.
This detail was revealed during a court hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court, which also outlined Thomas’s prior criminal history.
In December 2021, he was sentenced to twelve months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after being convicted of distributing indecent images of young children.
Furthermore, he was subjected to a sexual harm prevention order set to last ten years.
Despite fulfilling the requirements associated with this sentence, probation officials assessed his attitude and engagement with rehabilitation efforts as “superficial.” Earlier this year, the police, aiming to combat online sexual abuse of minors, created multiple accounts across messaging platforms, including Messenger and Kik, to infiltrate illicit groups.
These groups often consisted of up to fifty members or more, sharing troubling content and interests.
On April 18, 2023, a police officer operating a profile on Kik to monitor such groups was approached by someone using the pseudonym “John Smith,” claiming to be a 39-year-old man.
It was later confirmed through further investigation that this individual was Sion Wyn Thomas.
The police’s inquiries led them to take action at Thomas’s residence.
When officers executed a search warrant at his home and examined his car, they uncovered additional concerning evidence, including small-sized women’s clothing and underwear.
Officers also seized Thomas’s mobile phone and tablet devices, which contained 15 images depicting naked girls, specifically those between the ages of eight and twelve.
The devices also held chats discussing the sexual abuse of young girls.
It remains unclear whether Thomas himself contributed to these conversations or was merely in possession of the images, as the evidence does not definitively link him to the specific content.
Thomas pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual harm prevention order and violating the conditions of his suspended sentence.
His defense attorney, Anna Price, explained that Thomas was unable to fully articulate or explain his behavior.
She noted that he had completed some rehabilitation activities and alcohol treatment programs as part of his original sentence requirements, but emphasized that probation officers viewed his participation as superficial.
The presiding judge, His Honour Rhys Rowlands, expressed concern over the defendant’s actions.
He emphasized that the terms of the sexual harm prevention order strictly prohibited Thomas from accessing social media platforms without stringent controls.
Despite this, Thomas had gone on Kik, demonstrating an “unnatural and extremely worrying behavior.” Judge Rowlands criticized Thomas for showing that he had learned “absolutely nothing” from his previous sentence, suggesting that his actions indicated an attempt to revert to his old ways.
The judge also highlighted that Thomas’s non-compliance with the sexual harm prevention order was a clear sign that he was seeking to continue his deviant behaviors.
Consequently, the court sentenced Thomas to a total of sixteen months in prison.
He received a ten-month sentence for breaching the sexual harm prevention order, to run concurrently, and an additional six months for breaching the terms of his suspended sentence, which would be served consecutively.
This decision effectively meant that Thomas would spend over a year behind bars, reflecting the serious concern the court had regarding his repeated offenses and failure to comply with court orders in Gwynedd.
