LLANDOVERY PAEDOPHILE RHYS LONG SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES IN WALES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Llandovery, Rhys Long, a 22-year-old man, has been convicted and sentenced for a series of serious sexual offences involving minors. The case highlights the ongoing concerns about child exploitation and the importance of strict enforcement of protective orders.

On March 22, police officers responded to a call at Long’s residence after intelligence linked his phone number to an unauthorized Instagram account. This discovery prompted a detailed investigation into his online activities, revealing a troubling pattern of misconduct. Long was already under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which was designed to prevent him from having unsupervised contact with children, creating social media accounts under false names, deleting data from his devices, or storing data on cloud services.

Despite these restrictions, Long had previously avoided imprisonment in 2021 after admitting to making and distributing indecent images of children. During that case, he handed over devices registered in his name and disclosed social media accounts known to authorities. However, when questioned about the possibility of possessing additional devices, Long admitted to having a phone stored in a safe in his bedroom. Police seized this phone along with a laptop, which contained further evidence of his illicit activities.

Investigators uncovered six social media accounts registered under aliases—four on Instagram and one on Twitter—none of which were registered in Long’s name. These accounts were used to communicate with minors and share inappropriate content. Among the most alarming findings were conversations with a 14-year-old boy from Lincolnshire, conducted via Snapchat and on his phone. Prosecutor Brian Simpson detailed that Long referred to the boy as “kiddo” and “little one,” made references to his parents and school, and was aware of the boy’s age.

The messages included discussions about sex toys and the boy’s purchase of adult nappies. When the boy mentioned he had broken up with his boyfriend, Long responded with a comment suggesting he hoped his breakup was not related to him. Evidence also indicated grooming behavior, as Long sent the boy vapes and birthday money, and the boy later admitted to police that they had engaged in mutual masturbation over FaceTime.

Further investigations revealed conversations with at least three other Snapchat users, sharing links to images of child sexual abuse. On Long’s original phone, authorities found indecent images of children, with the youngest being only three years old. Additionally, there were eleven internet searches using the term “underage,” indicating a disturbing interest in underage victims. An application designed to wipe cached data was also discovered, and it appeared to be in the process of deleting data when officers arrived.

Long’s criminal record includes three previous convictions for ten offences, including breaches of two suspended sentences and the sexual harm prevention order. His actions demonstrate a pattern of repeated offending and disregard for court orders. Addressing Long in court, Judge Paul Thomas expressed his concern, stating, “It’s clear to me that, at the moment, you have an entrenched paedophilia which you will not do anything about. You not only failed to stop offending, but the seriousness of what you were doing has increased. You have shown a complete and utter disregard for the sexual harm prevention order, for the suspended sentence order, and for the court and its process.”

As a result, Long was sentenced to five years and six months in prison, with an extended three-year license period upon release. He was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to register as a sex offender for life. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors from predatory individuals like Long, whose actions have caused significant concern within the community of Llandovery.