WELSH GOVERNMENT LAWYER AND POLICE OFFICER JAILED FOR SEX ATTACKS ON YOUNG CHILDREN
A former Welsh Government lawyer and a former police officer carried out horrific sex attacks on "a number of very young children".Police said their investigation into the two men "uncovered extremely disturbing child abuse evidence".
Lawyer John Guess, 43, preyed on young girls then shared pictures and videos of his abuse on the internet with other paedophiles.
Guess - who was a senior lawyer advising the Welsh Government on legal matters - abused two girls and filmed the attacks to share online.
Guess also took photos of children getting changed at swimming pools or on the beach and up the skirts of girls as they walked to school.
Prosecutor James Wilson said: "He has a long standing sexual interest in young girls.
He was deeply involved with other like-minded individuals on social media and they shared child abuse images.
"He was part of a network of like-minded individuals who would use messenger groups and there were a number of discussions about their shared interest in abusing children." Mr Wilson said that in one chat Guess - also known as John Ryan-Guess - was sent a picture of two young girls in swimsuits by another paedophile.
He replied: "That first one would be great to rape".
Guess, formerly of Cardiff but later of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, is a named author on Welsh Government reports as a legal advisor in his role as a senior lawyer.
Mr Wilson said: "He had the intellect and capacity to seek help but he did not." Cardiff Crown Court heard a victim impact statement from a mother of one of Guess’s victims, who said her daughter was having to see a therapist to deal with the effects of his crimes.
She said: "I was initially numb with the shock and horror - that numbness has been replaced with considerable sadness and anger.
He was able to prey upon my daughter." Guess admitted 36 charges including sexual assault of a child, assault by penetration, possessing and distributing indecent images of children, inciting a child into sexual activity, aiding and abetting a child into sexual exploitation and possessing extreme porn.
Peter Rouch QC, defending, said: "These offences were opportunistic and there was no significant degree of planning.
His life is in shreds.
He has lost his professional status and his employment prospects." Guess - of Trowbridge, Wiltshire - was sentenced to 26 years and told he must serve at least 20 of them behind bars.
Sentencing, Judge Eleri Rees told him: "You have held a perverted interest in young interest in young girls since you were a young man.
Over the course of 10 years you harvested a large collection of indecent images.
They were organised into collections in a considered and calculated fashion.
You have become a sexual predator, taking advantage of any opportunity to take indecent images of children.
Had you not been arrested it would only be a matter of time and opportunity that you would proceed to rape children.
You seek to corrupt children by inciting them to engage online in sexual activity for your own gratification.
You have become accustomed to ignoring the normal social boundaries and taboos which might inhibit others." A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "The individual concerned is no longer employed by the Welsh Government." Roberts, of Broadlands in Bridgend, was formally dismissed from South Wales Police after a special case hearing held by the Chief Constable on June 14, having previously resigned from the force on May 29.
The investigation has led to further arrests across England as well as overseas.
South Wales Police's paedophile online investigation team (POLIT) launched an investigation into Guess after receiving intelligence concerning predatory activity by an adult male in an online chat room.
A warrant was issued and Guess was arrested.
Evidence regarding Roberts was also uncovered, leading to his arrest.
Roberts of Broadlands in Bridgend, was dismissed from South Wales Police after resigning earlier.
The investigation has led to further arrests across England and overseas.
Detective Superintendent Wendy Gunney said: "Today’s sentences reflect the gravity of the crimes that have been committed.
The two people responsible for the appalling abuse of a number of very young children have now been brought to justice.
The investigation uncovered extremely disturbing child abuse evidence and the guilty pleas have ensured that the jury were spared from viewing evidence that would have been extremely traumatic.
The safeguarding of children has been an absolute priority for the investigation team.
Today’s sentence does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify other victims or witnesses and seek justice.
The investigation also involves other police forces in the UK and internationally." An NSPCC Cymru/Wales spokesman said: “Ryan-Guess and Roberts committed a series of grave offences against young children, including rape in the case of Roberts who was a serving police officer.
The danger both men pose is reflected in their long jail terms, and their victims will require substantial support to recover.
Abusers often use the internet to target, groom, and share abuse material amongst groups.
The NSPCC campaigns for measures to compel social media companies to better protect children online and prevent circulation of abuse images.
