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Man obsessed with violent pornography admits murder of Georgia Williams
(about 3 hours later)
A 23-year-old man has admitted murdering a 17-year-old police detective's daughter who went missing after telling her parents she was off to stay with friends.
A young shop worker obsessed with extreme and violent pornography may spend the rest of his life behind bars after he admitted murdering a 17-year-old girl and taking photographs of her as she died.
Jamie Reynolds, 23, a shop worker, had initially denied killing Georgia Williams but changed his plea on Monday as his trial was about to begin at Stafford crown court.
Jamie Reynolds lured Georgia Williams, the daughter of a police detective, to his home by asking her to pose for innocent photographs but used a ligature to kill her and took pictures of her final moments before dumping her body in woodland.
During the brief hearing, it emerged that Reynolds took images of Georgia, a former head girl, before and after he killed her. Police also found that he had an interest in extreme pornography and had taken images of "innocent" girls from social network sites and "corrupted" them.
When police raided Reynolds's home in Wellington, Shropshire, they found a collection of the most explicit hardcore pornography including, it is understood, "snuff movies" said to show real people being killed.
Mr Justice Wilkie said he would consider if Reynolds should face a full life term in prison. The court also heard that a 200-page psychiatric report had been prepared on Reynolds, who kept his head bowed throughout.
Police also found Reynolds, 23, had created dozens of explicit composite images by superimposing the faces of innocent girls from pictures posted on social network sites on to hardcore pornographic material. The images of between 30 and 50 women had been corrupted in this way. In addition, officers found deeply disturbing fantasy stories of a sexual and violent nature written by the killer.
Reynolds and Georgia, who wanted to become a paramedic in the RAF, were acquaintances but were not romantically involved. One theory police looked at was that Reynolds had persuaded Georgia to do some modelling for him.
Reynolds was due to face trial at Stafford crown court on Monday but at the last moment changed his plea and admitted he had murdered Georgia, whose disappearance sparked a nationwide search in May.
A nationwide police hunt was launched in May after Georgia was reported missing having left the family home in Wellington, Shropshire, saying she was going to see friends.
The judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, asked the prosecution and defence barristers to address the issue of whether Reynolds, who wore spectacles and a dark suit and tie, should face a full life term when he sentences him later this month. Only a few prisoners in the UK have been told they will never be released – including Mark Bridger, who was convicted of murdering the schoolgirl April Jones earlier this year.
Three days after she vanished, Reynolds, also from Wellington, was arrested at a budget hotel in Scotland. He had driven there in a van owned by a relative but there was no sign of Georgia.
David Crigman QC, prosecuting, has applied for the photographs of Georgia taken by Reynolds, the composite images he created, the extreme pornography he viewed and the stories he wrote to be viewed only by the judge and not shown in open court because they are considered so disturbing and distressing.
Police asked other forces and members of the public to contact them with any sightings of the vehicle – or Georgia – between Shropshire and Scotland.
Though the court has not been told whether or not Georgia was sexually assaulted, police sources said there was no doubt Reynolds's motive was sexual. It is understood that he was reprimanded by police five years ago after becoming obsessed with another girl. Reynolds also came to the attention of the police about three years ago when he crashed into the car of a teenage girl after she rejected his advances.
But two days later Georgia's body was found in woodland near the Nant-y-Garth pass on the A525 between Wrexham and Ruthin in north Wales, around 50 miles from her home.
The case is bound to reignite the debate over whether use of hardcore pornography leads to sexual violence, which has been high on the political agenda since it emerged that images of child sexual abuse were found on Bridger's computer. One other parallel between the two cases is that both collected images of girls from social network sites. It is understood that Reynolds did not have pictures of child sexual abuse.
Georgia's family released a statement on Monday, saying: "The pain we feel is as raw now as it was when our beautiful daughter was taken from us.
A nationwide police hunt was launched after Georgia was reported missing having left her family home in Wellington on Sunday 26 May saying she was going to see friends. Georgia's father, the detective constable Steve Williams, tried to make – or actually did make – contact with Reynolds after his daughter's disappearance to ask him where she was.
Three days after she vanished, Reynolds was arrested at a budget hotel in Scotland. On Friday 31 May, Georgia's body was found in woodland near Wrexham, around 50 miles from her home.
Georgia's family released a statement following Reynolds's plea saying: "The pain we feel is as raw now as it was when our beautiful daughter was taken from us.
"We will never ever be able to make any sense of what happened or why it happened to a young woman as caring, kind and generous as our Georgia.
"We will never ever be able to make any sense of what happened or why it happened to a young woman as caring, kind and generous as our Georgia.
"Today's guilty plea gives us no satisfaction at all; we do not and will never understand the heartbreaking events of earlier this year that changed our lives forever."
"Today's guilty plea gives us no satisfaction at all; we do not and will never understand the heartbreaking events of earlier this year that changed our lives forever."
Police confirmed Georgia was murdered at Reynolds' home in Avondale Road, Wellington, on the day she vanished.
At the time of her murder, they had described her as a "gorgeous tomboy" who had been keen to become a paramedic in the RAF. Georgia's father, her mother, Lynette, and sister, Scarlett, sat in the front row of what would have been the jury box had Reynolds faced trial as he pleaded guilty to murder.
Superintendent Adrian McGee, one of the senior investigating officers, said: "The Williams family has been incredibly dignified and understanding and I cannot praise them highly enough.
Police confirmed Georgia was murdered at Reynolds's red-bricked family home in Avondale Road, Wellington, on the day she vanished. They believe her body was dumped across the border in Wales the next day before Reynolds fled to Scotland.
"This was a hugely challenging and unusual case for the police officers and staff involved."
Superintendent Adrian McGee, one of the senior investigating officers, said: "The Williams family has been incredibly dignified and understanding and I cannot praise them highly enough."
Police sources said the murder was sexually motivated. Georgia went voluntarily to Reynolds' home to pose for perfectly innocent photographs. But he attacked her and murdered her there. They believe he dumped her body the next day.
Officers found a series of images taken by Reynolds which apparently captured the moment of her death – with some sort of ligature around her neck – and the aftermath showing her dead body.
Also found on Reynolds' computer were dozens of offensive composite images that he created by superimposing the faces of girls from pictures posted on social network sites on to hard pornographic material. The faces of between 30 and 50 women had been used in this way.
The prosecution is to argue that only the judge, and not the press or public, should be allowed to see the photographs of Georgia or some of the extreme pornography he was caught with because they are so indecent and disturbing.
The Telford and Wrekin commander, Superintendent Nav Malik, said the fact that Georgia's father was a police detective made the case even more difficult than usual for the force.
"We are liaising closely with Georgia's family, who are devastated," he said. "This has proved particularly challenging given that Georgia's father is a police officer here. Whenever someone from the police family is involved it is particularly distressing."
Georgia was last seen alive on Sunday 26 May. She had her mobile phone with her when she left her home at 7.30pm but the last calls and text messages were sent from the device just half an hour later. Her disappearance was described by family and police as being "completely out of character".
On Wednesday 29 May Reynolds was arrested in Glasgow. Police asked the public to report any sightings of the van, which they believed had been driven from Wellington to Glasgow via Rhyl in north Wales, Chester, and Kendal in the Lake District.
There were also extensive appeals from Georgia's friends on social media sites for information about her disappearance, and on Friday 31 May, hours before it emerged that her body had been found, many of them took to the streets of Shropshire to drop leaflets and put up posters.
Katy Lafferty, Georgia's best friend, said at the time that the last time they had spoken the teenager appeared her normal self. She said: "I last spoke to her on Saturday and she was just the same as she's always been. It is heartbreaking. I cannot ever imagine that this would happen but for us to be able to do something about it is good."
Georgia's family paid tribute to the teenager, calling her a "gorgeous tomboy".
In statements issued by the police in June her father, Steve Williams, and his wife, Lynette, said: "We always describe her as a gorgeous tomboy, someone who is much happier dressed up in her Air Cadets uniform rather than dressed in glamorous clothes ready to go out."
Referring to glamorous images of her and talk of her wanting to be a model, they said: "The modelling she has done was to help her sister's business and the Facebook reference to her being a 'wannabe model' is a tongue-in-cheek joke between her and Scarlett [her sister] relating to this modelling."
They said she had wanted to join the RAF and had been researching qualifications that would allow her to become a paramedic. "She was most put out when she discovered she couldn't join the RAF Regiment, the arm of the RAF of her choice, as they do not admit women and therefore she decided that training as a paramedic is her way of getting to the frontline.
"Georgia is into everything and we couldn't be prouder of everything she has achieved. We are blessed to have her in our lives and the happiness she brings will remain with us forever."
Scarlett added: "Georgia is the best little sister you could ever wish for, although it's fair to say we can annoy each other on a daily basis. We are like chalk and cheese. We always joke that I am pink and she is blue because we are into such different things. As children I was into ballet while all she wanted to do was go off with the Air Cadets and do outdoor stuff."
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