A former media assistant at Swansea City FC has been ordered to attend a community sex offenders’ programme after admitting possessing more than 1,000 indecent images of children.
Owain Pennar Johns, 24, of Gorseinon, Swansea, also admitted 17 counts of making indecent images of children (downloading) and one of distributing indecent images of children.
He was sentenced to the community order at Swansea Crown Court today by Judge Peter Heywood who told Johns a short prison sentence, although justified, would not allow time for him to attend courses to address his behaviour.
The judge said of Johns: "This is a young man who has made a horrible mistake."
And he told the university graduate: "You let yourself and others down by what is an act of stupidity on your part."
The judge said he was "between a rock and hard place" when it came to sentencing because the defendant needed to address his offending behaviour.
He told Johns: "The community alternative is not a soft option and you will need to work hard."
He warned that any breaches of the community order could lead to him being brought back to court to face immediate custody.
The court heard the offences came to light when the defendant’s lap top computer was seized and examined and the images were found.
He co-operated with the police and the judge told him: "You fully accepted your wrong doing."
The judge added to Johns : "The thumbnail images are of real children who are exploited and put through acts of indignity."
The court was told the offences happened on a number of dates between January 2008 and November last year in Swansea.
Johns left his post as media assistant at Swansea City FC after the offences came to light.
