According to – and it pains us to have to source them – a report by The Sun on Sunday, former Lostprophets vocalist and convicted paedophile Ian Watkins has been grooming a fan from prison. The woman, who first met Watkins when she was 16, had reportedly written to him and visited him in prison. On one visit, he reportedly asked her what she would do if her daughter, aged two, “came into the room during sex”.
Her child was taken from her care in December, after which she visited Watkins on multiple other occasions. He allegedly suggested that a new ring she was wearing on one visit should act as an ‘engagement ring.’
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Watkins was jailed for 35 years in 2013 for multiple child sex offences. He had become involved with a number of young mothers in order to access their children. Officials at Wakefield Prison, where he is currently serving his sentence, said that “nothing untoward” had been found in the correspondence between Watkins and the woman, and Lincolnshire Police (from the area where the woman lives, as per the article) reportedly told The Sun: “We will always take action to safeguard vulnerable adults and children.” The NSPCC, a children’s charity, have condemned any prison processes that may have allowed him to continue grooming despite being in custody: “This is an absolute shambles,” a spokesman told The Sun. “We’re sickened. It’s utterly bewildering that he could carry on grooming. It shows contempt for children he abused, and raises serious questions about supervision.”
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