ALAN WILLS' HORRIFIC CRIMES IN PENZANCE AND CAMBORNE SHOCK COMMUNITY

In a deeply disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Camborne and Penzance, Alan Wills, a man with a dark and depraved history, has been exposed as a paedophile involved in a sinister ring targeting young girls. The revelations have not only brought justice to the victims but also left a trail of emotional devastation for his family, especially his wife Heidi, who has spoken out about the nightmare she endured.

Heidi, who met Wills in Penzance at the tender age of 17, has described her life as being shattered by her husband's heinous actions. She recounted how Wills, who was unemployed at the time, engaged in the abuse of young girls within their own family home while she was working long, exhausting 12-hour shifts. Her account reveals that she was unaware of the extent of his depravity until the truth came to light.

Wills, aged 46, was found to be part of a paedophile ring that has now been dismantled by authorities. Four men involved in the ring have been sentenced to prison, while another individual received a community order, a sexual offences prevention order, and was required to register as a sex offender. One defendant, originally from St Agnes and later residing in St Austell, was acquitted of all charges.

Heidi, now 27, expressed her shock and heartbreak upon discovering that Wills had been grooming girls as young as eight. Her revelation came after she was working as a carer, completely unaware of her husband's sinister activities. Since the disturbing details emerged, she has been forced to leave Cornwall altogether, fearing for her safety due to death threats she received. She explained, "My whole life’s been destroyed and I had to start a new one. I had the upheaval of moving my little one and go with only a small suitcase of clothes because people were threatening our lives."

Her primary concern remains her young son, who was reportedly present in the same room during some of the abuse. Heidi shared her anguish, saying, "Hearing that he was in the same room when some of this stuff happened was worse than finding out I was married to such a man. Thankfully he’s so young that he won’t remember it. He’s not going to remember his dad and that’s the way I want it to stay."

Heidi married Wills a decade ago, after meeting him when he was working as a taxi driver in Penzance. Their relationship took a darker turn when Wills quit his sales job just five days before Heidi discovered she was pregnant in early 2008. He made no effort to find new employment, leaving Heidi to work grueling 12-hour shifts up until two weeks before she gave birth. She admitted that the long hours and her responsibilities as a mother left her too exhausted to realize the extent of her husband's sinister activities.

She recounted, “When I found out I broke down in tears. I felt physically sick. I became extremely depressed and haven’t been able to go back to work. I’m still seeing a counsellor every week. It just turned my life upside down. I wish that I hadn’t done so many hours, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

In April 2009, police officers arrived at their home in Camborne to question Wills about the allegations. After the interview, he reportedly told Heidi, “They’re going to stitch me up.” The couple subsequently moved out of their Camborne residence, which was later burgled and set on fire by Mark Cox, a homeless individual who had heard rumours about the abuse. Cox was later jailed for his actions.

Wills then fled to Spain, attempting to evade police detection. Despite his absence, authorities continued to investigate his whereabouts, and Heidi was kept in the dark about his location for some time. She described her emotional turmoil, saying, “They were desperate to find him but wouldn’t tell me anything. I protected him for a while and then it just got too much for me and I called the police and broke off contact. In July 2009 – on my birthday – he handed himself in.”

Since then, Heidi has relocated hundreds of miles away from Cornwall, only planning to return briefly to visit family and friends. She has come to accept that rebuilding her life here is impossible, haunted by the stigma of her association with her husband's crimes. She reflected, “Down in Cornwall I will always be that woman who was married to a paedophile and didn’t know anything about it.”