A PAEDOPHILE from Llandovery has been jailed for 12 years after targeting children as young as nine online.

Jack Jones, 23, was found to have contacted children between the ages of nine and 14 on Instagram and sent sexually explicit messages from April 2019 to August last year.

Prosecutor Nicola Powell told the court that the mother of an 11-year-old girl contacted the police after Jones had sent the girl sexually explicit messages which encouraged the girl to perform sexual acts on herself.

Jones told the girl he was 14 – when he was 19 at the time – and sent her videos of himself masturbating. He had got his victim to send him pictures of herself.

On March 24, 2020, the mum of a second girl – aged nine – contacted the police because her daughter had been receiving “inappropriate messages”.

Jones – 20 at the time – had contacted the girl saying he was 15 years old, sent her a picture of his penis, and asked her to send pictures of herself to him.

She refused, saying that she was only nine, to which he replied that age was only a construct and that they should keep it secret.

Following this, police raided Jones’ home, seizing several of his devices.

He was found to also have been messaging a 14-year-old girl, encouraging her to perform a sex act, Ms Powell told the court.

The girl had told him she was 14, and he continued to ask her for explicit pictures.

He told another victim that he was 15 as he asked her to perform sex acts on herself.

While on bail for those offences, Jones messaged a nine-year-old girl asking her for explicit pictures of herself, and sending pictures of himself.

He also messaged a 13-year-old victim attempting to persuade her to perform sex acts on herself. He was aged 22 at the time.

When examining his devices, officers found five indecent pictures and videos, the most serious of which involved a video of a girl between the ages of 13 and 15 performing a sex act on herself and a girl – aged 11 to 13 – being made to pose explicitly.

When he was interviewed by police on April 17, 2022, Jones told officers that he “had been online looking for a girlfriend around his age”, and had been messaging the accounts of girls he believed were his own age.

He later admitted the offences, and told the authors of a pre-sentence report that he had “no interest” in a relationship with an adult.

Swansea Crown Court heard a statement read out from the mum of one of Jones’ nine-year-old victims.

“This is a disgusting offence that has left a lasting effect on her,” she said.

“Her innocence has been violated.”

She said she remained worried about her daughter’s safety online.

“I’m extremely disgusted and upset about what has happened,” she said.

Jones, who was in custody at HMP Parc Prison prior to his sentencing, had no previous convictions.

“He does know what he has done is extremely wrong,” said Dyfed Thomas, defending.

“He clearly has an unhealthy interest in young children.”

He said Jones had admitted he knew what he was doing was wrong, but had claimed he “cannot stop himself behaving in that way”.

Mr Thomas said the pre-sentence report infers that Jones was “less mature” than people his own age.

“The fact that there are not any other victim impact statements should not be taken that the other children have not been affected by this,” said Judge Geraint Walters. “It will be with them, and will continue to be with them.”

Jones must register as a sex offender indefinitely, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

Judge Walters sentenced Jones to a total of 12 years in prison.

The sentences in full are as follows:

  • Causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity – Six years;
  • Causing a child to watch a sexual act – One year, concurrent;
  • Causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity – Four years, concurrent;
  • Engaging in sexual communication with a child – Six months, concurrent;
  • Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity – Four years, concurrent;
  • Attempting to engage a child under the age of 16 in sexual activity – Three years, concurrent;
  • Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child – One year, concurrent;
  • Making an indecent image of a child – Three months, concurrent;
  • Making an indecent image of a child – Eight months, concurrent;
  • Causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity – Six years, consecutive.
  • Causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity – Four years, concurrent;
  • Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity – Four years, concurrent.