The veteran police chief who headed the investigation into Ian
Watkins's trail of sex abuse appealed today for other victims to come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle described the case as 'the
most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I have ever seen'.
And he vowed that the hunt to uncover other victims of the abuse
would continue.
'There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his
celebrity status in order to abuse young children,' he said.
'Today's outcome ensures that the three people responsible have
been brought to justice.
'The safeguarding of children has been the primary objective for
the investigation team and the outcome of this investigation has been achieved
through a multi-agency approach at an international level.'
He added: 'Two very young children have been removed from this
abuse and given a future that would otherwise have been denied them.
'The investigation has been extremely complex and challenging with
key information and evidence being identified from witnesses worldwide.
'A significant amount of electronic data has been retrieved from
computers and web based storage which has provided crucial evidence to support
the case.
'South Wales Police has worked in partnership with Interpol, other
police forces, National Crime Agency's CEOP command, local authorities in
England and Wales, the Department of Homeland Security in the USA and the NSPCC.
'Today's outcome does not mark the end of our investigations and
we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the
justice they deserve.
'Above all this investigation has been focussed on the protection
of children and my thoughts today are with those victims'.
Catrin Evans, Head of Complex Casework Unit for the Crown
Prosecution Service in Wales, added: 'The three defendants in this case have
admitted very serious sexual offences committed against extremely young children,
demonstrating sexual exploitation at its worst'.
Anyone affected by this case or other cases of child abuse can
contact South Wales Police on 029 20634184 or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000
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