DANIEL MESSHAM PENCED IN FOR CHILD ABDUCTION AND SEXUAL OFFENCES IN PENCOED

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Pencoed, 21-year-old Daniel Messham has been found guilty of a series of serious crimes involving an underage girl. The incident began when Messham, who had been communicating with his teenage victim through social media, arranged to pick her up from her home in Pencoed. Despite the girl explicitly informing him that she was underage, Messham believed they were engaged in a romantic relationship, which led to a series of criminal acts.

According to court proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court, Messham drove to the girl’s residence in his car and collected her. The two then engaged in sexual activity at his home, including vaginal and oral sex. During this period, the girl’s mother had already reported her missing to the police, raising alarm and initiating a search for her daughter.

After the girl returned home, she and her mother had a heated argument. The girl, in an attempt to escape the situation, packed a suitcase and prepared to leave. Messham arrived outside her house in his vehicle, and her mother approached the car to intervene, warning him that her daughter was only a teenager and should not be taken away. Despite her pleas, Messham ignored her and drove off with the girl still inside the vehicle.

The mother, witnessing this, immediately pursued the car and contacted the police, providing the vehicle’s location. Law enforcement officers intercepted Messham’s car approximately 20 minutes later. When stopped, the police found the girl sitting in the passenger seat. Messham initially lied to officers, claiming he believed the girl was 17 years old, but this was later contradicted by evidence and his own phone records.

Following his arrest, police searched Messham’s home in Bridgend. The search uncovered 41.2 grams of cannabis and a mobile phone, which was seized for further examination. An analysis of the device revealed a series of journal entries written by Messham, in which he expressed disturbing thoughts about his relationship with the underage girl. One entry read: “I’m so much older…. That’s f***** up you know that. Do you really wanna f*** this girl? Or is that a pathetic delusion? Hot? Not. Let’s be real here. When she’s older what’s gonna happen? ‘Dan you were a monster for grooming me… i think you damn well know you deserve fail(sic) time’.”

In another note, Messham wrote: “I will help her become a woman… This girl is clearly mentally unwell… This girl is clearly a lot younger than an adult… Are you about to take this girl’s innocence?” Further entries revealed his internal conflict and delusions, with statements such as: “How can I as an adult try and convince myself that I should be dating a minor who is struggling with her mental health this much… The delusion is particularly finding younger girls attractive and sayin(sic) I want to be with them.”

His Snapchat messages also contained romantic exchanges with the victim, including an image of the two together. One message to her read: “I hate that I’ve groomed people… that I’ve seen literally illegal porn… I refuse to download Instagram again… I still find myself every week or so doing something I really regret… best was(sic) I can put it is just sexualising people that are way too young and acting on it… I was so afraid I was slipping up when I met you that I was just repeating the behaviour I did online now I see it’s sm(sic) more than that.”

Further investigation into his internet activity revealed searches related to child abduction, including references to the Child Abduction Act 1984, made just before his arrest. Messham was interviewed twice by police but chose to answer “no comment” to all questions. He ultimately pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming, abducting a child, and possession of cannabis. The court acknowledged that Messham had no prior criminal record and was considered to be of good character before these events.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson addressed the court, emphasizing the trauma inflicted on the victim and her mother. He described the incident as profoundly distressing, noting the mother’s account of her daughter being taken away by a stranger and the subsequent pursuit, which left her terrified and uncertain about her daughter’s safety. The judge recognized that Messham appeared remorseful and acknowledged his social isolation, but also emphasized that he was “plainly intelligent and plainly you know right from wrong.”

It was revealed that Messham had been diagnosed with complex PTSD, stemming from an adverse childhood, which may have contributed to his behavior. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to a total of three years and four months in prison. Additionally, he was subjected to a 10-year restraining order, placed under sex offender notification requirements, and ordered to comply with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent any further harm or contact with minors.