This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/26/lostprophets-singer-ian-watkins-admit-offences-attempted-rape-baby

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Lostprophets singer admits sex offences including attempted rape of baby Lostprophets singer admits sex offences including attempted rape of baby
(35 minutes later)
Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has pleaded guilty to a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby. The rock singer Ian Watkins has pleaded guilty to a string of sex offences involving children, including the attempted rape of a baby.
The former lead singer with the multimillion-selling band made a series of admissions in a last-minute change of plea before what would have been his trial at Cardiff crown court. Watkins, the 36-year-old lead singer and founder member of the now disbanded Lostprophets, had been due to face trial at Cardiff crown court but changed his pleas at the last moment.
Watkins, 36, from Pontypridd, south Wales, insists he has no memory of what would have been key video evidence at the trial showing the abuse of his one-year-old victim, the court heard. The jury had been warned they would have to examine some very disturbing images and arrangements were already in hand for them to receive counselling at the end of the case.
The singer pleaded guilty to a string of sex offences he had previously denied. But Watkins, whose band has sold around 3.5m albums around the world, admitted 11 charges – though he claimed he had no memory of what would have been key video evidence showing a one-year-old victim being abused, because he had been taking drugs on the day in question.
The charges included sexually touching a one-year-old and encouraging a woman to abuse her own child during a webcam chat. As well as the attempted rape, the charges admitted by Watkins included encouraging a woman to abuse a child during a webcam chat. He also pleaded guilty to making images of child sexual abuse.
Watkins also admitted possessing and making child abuse images as well as attempting to rape a baby. Christopher Clee QC, prosecuting, said the crown had accepted Watkins' pleas partly to spare the jury the trauma of watching explicit video footage.
The disgraced rocker was originally charged with actual rape but insisted sex with the child did not take place during a drug-fuelled binge he says he was on at the time. Clee branded Watkins, from Pontypridd in south Wales, a "determined and committed paedophile". The court heard of an exchange with a woman offering him a "summer of child porn". He replied: "Hell yes baby."
Watkins originally faced 24 separate charges – all sex offence-related. Wearing a grey suit with a white shirt and dark tie, his black and grey hair shaped into a quiff, Watkins continually looked to his barrister as he made his admissions.
He pleaded guilty to 11 charges on Tuesday, nine of which were unchanged and two of attempted rape of a baby, as opposed to rape. Two women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared alongside Watkins and also admitted sex offences involving children.
Catrin Evans, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service's complex casework unit for Wales, said: "The three defendants in this case have admitted very serious sexual offences committed against extremely young children, demonstrating sexual exploitation at its worst.
"A number of the victims are too young to be able to understand what has happened to them, yet the defendants exploited them for their own gratification.
"The prosecution case is based on robust evidence uncovered by the investigation team and the South Wales police high-tech crime unit. The CPS team worked closely with the police to build a strong case and this has been a major factor in today's guilty pleas.
"The CPS will not tolerate child abuse. Tackling this unacceptable crime is a priority for all of us in the criminal justice system.
"We have recently issued new guidelines for prosecutors dealing with child abuse cases and are committed to supporting victims and bringing those who abuse and exploit children before the courts."
Unusually, after Watkins was charged in December last year, South Wales police named him and asked anyone with information to come forward.
In a statement it said: "In order to assist their investigation South Wales police has named the man as Ian Watkins, a member of the rock group Lostprophets."
The statement said Watkins and two women had been arrested as part of a "continuing investigation" codenamed Operation Globe and had been questioned at Cardiff Bay police station.
Experts from the NSPCC were also involved at a very early stage.
John Cameron, the head of child protection operations for the NSPCC, said at the time of Watkins's first court appearance: "We can confirm we are working alongside South Wales police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on this investigation.
"It's vital we send a clear message to those who have experienced abuse that they can never be to blame for what has happened to them, that they have somewhere to turn and that they will be taken seriously."
Co-founded by Watkins in the south Wales town of Pontypridd in 1997, Lostprophets released five albums, the latest, Weapons, in April. The group have had two singles, Last Train Home and Rooftops, in the UK top 10. The other members of Lostprophets announced last month that the band were splitting up.
Watkins and the two women will be sentenced next month.
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.