ETHAN OWEN FROM VALE OF GLAMORGAN SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING YOUNG GIRLS

Ethan Owen, a 30-year-old man from the Vale of Glamorgan, has been convicted and sentenced for a series of serious sexual offences involving two young girls. Owen, who was already classified as a dangerous offender and a registered sex offender for life, engaged in disturbing online behavior that included sending explicit content and soliciting similar material from minors.

According to the prosecution, Martha Smith-Higgins, Owen was involved in a troubling incident that began when he was playing the popular online game Fortnite. During the game, he was added by two primary school-aged girls, who were then included in a WhatsApp group named "bad." The group was created by Owen, who used it as a platform to observe and communicate with the children. His profile pictures clearly indicated that they were young girls, which raised immediate concerns.

Once in the group, Owen began sending highly inappropriate messages, including sexually explicit content. The victims described the images and videos he shared as "disturbing," featuring naked men and women. Initially, the girls believed Owen to be a normal person, but their perception changed rapidly as he continued to send increasingly explicit material. This included images and videos showing his genitals, footage of him engaging in sexual acts with a woman, and solo sexual acts.

Owen's predatory behavior extended further when he asked one of the girls to send a picture of her genitals and encouraged her to perform sexual activities. The court heard that he also threatened one of the victims, stating he was "going to come to her house and do something to her." After the girls blocked him, Owen attempted to contact them through his girlfriend’s phone, demonstrating a continued pattern of harassment and manipulation.

Prosecutor Smith-Higgins highlighted Owen’s extensive criminal history, which includes seven convictions for a total of 31 offences. His offending began at the age of 15 in 2009. Owen is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence that was recalled, meaning he was released early but then re-incarcerated due to breaches of his conditions. His record also shows multiple breaches of a sexual harm prevention order, along with charges related to threatening behavior and failure to comply with a community order.

During the court proceedings, Owen’s defense lawyer, John Ryan, emphasized that his client is now undergoing one-on-one psychological treatment, which he finds beneficial. Ryan also pointed out that although Owen has a lengthy criminal record, none of his previous convictions involved direct physical contact or hands-on offences.

Judge Francis, presiding over the case, made it clear that Owen’s behavior did not occur in isolation. She stated, "None of this behaviour occurred in a vacuum." She emphasized that Owen, fully aware of the girls’ young ages and appearances, engaged in sexual conversations, sent explicit images, and solicited intimate photos from them. The judge underscored the seriousness of Owen’s long-standing pattern of sexual offending, which has persisted since his teenage years.

She further noted that Owen was classified as a dangerous offender in 2013, when he received an extended sentence. The judge reaffirmed that Owen remains a dangerous individual, both then and now. Owen pleaded guilty to all six charges, which included causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch explicit acts, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

As a result, Owen was sentenced to an extended term of five years, with 40 months in custody and a further five years on license. He will continue to be subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the public from further harm.