NIGEL CHRISTOPHER BARNES, THE NEWPORT SEX PREDATOR, SENTENCED IN CARDIFF COURT

In July 2004, Nigel Christopher Barnes, a man from Newport, faced a significant legal setback when his appeal against a seven-year prison sentence was dismissed by a panel of judges led by Mrs Justice Hallett in the London Appeal Court. The court's decision reaffirmed the severity of Barnes's crimes, which involved the abduction and indecent assault of young children, and labeled him explicitly as a 'sex predator.'

Mrs Justice Hallett, along with her colleagues, emphasized that Barnes, aged 60 at the time, deserved every day of his incarceration for his heinous acts. The court's ruling was clear in its condemnation of Barnes’s actions, which included grooming children under the age of ten with sweets and chocolates, then subjecting them to sexual abuse. The judge underscored the importance of protecting vulnerable children from individuals like Barnes, stating that he posed a significant threat to their safety and well-being.

One of the victims, a ten-year-old boy, publicly shared his traumatic experience in an exclusive interview last December. He revealed that he was so overwhelmed by the memories of the abuse that he was taking three to four baths daily in an attempt to wash away the trauma. The boy, who was among three children targeted by Barnes during the summer of the previous year, expressed his feelings of hatred towards Barnes, saying, 'I just hate him. He’s changed me... I feel dirty.' He further added, 'I cannot get it out of my head. I want to forget it, but I can still remember every single detail.'

In dismissing Barnes’s appeal, Mrs Justice Hallett made it unequivocally clear that Barnes’s status as a sex offender necessitated ongoing protection measures for children. She stated, 'He is a sex predator from whom young children need to be protected for as long as possible and commensurate with the seriousness of the offences.' The court also upheld a strict restraining order preventing Barnes from residing within 250 yards of any school or children's play area, despite arguments from his barrister, Sarah Ward, that alternative control measures could be sufficient.

This ruling means that upon his eventual release from prison, Barnes will be required to relocate, as the court’s order restricts his proximity to places frequented by children. Barnes, who resides on Maesglas Avenue in Newport, had previously pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to three counts of child abduction and one count of indecent assault involving a young boy. His sentence included a decade-long registration on the sex offenders’ register, disqualification from working with children, and the imposition of the strict restraining order.

The court’s decision was further supported by the findings of pre-sentence reports, which revealed a troubling denial by Barnes of his status as a sex offender. Mrs Justice Hallett highlighted that Barnes had a history of sexual offenses against children and had previously served time for possessing indecent photographs of minors. The case was brought to light when the father of the ten-year-old victim discovered Barnes’s misconduct and made a 'forceful' citizen’s arrest after hearing about the abuse.

In her judgment, Mrs Justice Hallett condemned Barnes’s actions, noting that he targeted and groomed children under ten, using gifts to gain their trust before committing sexual acts and filming them for pornographic purposes. The court also pointed out that Barnes had indecently assaulted an eight-year-old child. The judges rejected arguments from Barnes’s legal counsel that his sentence for child abduction was excessively long and that the consecutive sentences for his crimes should be reconsidered, reaffirming the court’s stance on the gravity of his offenses.