Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins to stand trial for baby rape

[Pappa]

This is easy the most fucked up think I've ever read in a newspaper. It's fucking unbelievable.

Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins to stand trial in November on baby rape charges

Watkins, 35, who is accused of 24 sex offences including the rape of a baby, will stand trial in Cardiff at the end of the year

Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins will stand trial accused of baby rape and 22 other sex offences at the end of the year.

A judge set 25 November as a trial date for the rock singer at a hearing at Cardiff crown court, south Wales, on Thursday.

Watkins, 35, from Pontypridd, Wales, appeared at the hearing via video-link from Parc prison, Bridgend and was told he would be on trial for up to four weeks. Judge Eleri Rees, the Cardiff recorder, denied an attempt by the defence to switch the trial to a location outside Wales.

Watkins appeared in a plea hearing at the same court on Monday when he denied 24 separate sex offences. Among them were two counts of raping a baby, one of conspiracy to rape a child and one of conspiracy to sexually assault a child. He also denies charges of sexually assaulting a baby and aiding and abetting a woman to sexually assault a baby.

Two women, aged 20 and 24, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will also stand trial with Watkins. One of the women has admitted the sexual touching of a baby, one count of taking indecent photographs and one of distributing photographs of a child. A jury will be told about her three guilty pleas at the opening of the trial.

Watkins, whose band has sold more than 3.5m albums, also faces charges for possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children. He is also accused of possessing an extreme image depicting a person having sex with an animal. The oldest of the alleged offences dates to 2007.

One of the two women also appeared by video-link; the other was absent. The three defendants are collectively accused of 32 offences.

Judge Rees adjourned proceedings until 12 August for a case-management hearing at the same court. All three suspects remain remanded in custody.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/0 ... -baby-rape

[Bella Fortuna]

Jesus Christ.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Jesus Christ.

Baby Jesus?

[Azathoth]

Lots of groupies ask rockstars if they can have their babies.

For Ian Watkins however the request is the other way around...

[mistermack]

Just can't even imagine it. I can usually picture something, no matter how foul.

But that's got me completely beat. No punishment can be enough.
Never heard of the band.

[PsychoSerenity]

Fuck.

He denies all charges and will "fight to clear his name", but with several people involved, one who has already pleaded guilty, and with a long list of offences, it seems very unlikely that he's innocent. Seriously fucked up.

[Jason]

Dafuq?

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Yep. That's pretty fucked up.

[Cormac]

Fuck.

He denies all charges and will "fight to clear his name", but with several people involved, one who has already pleaded guilty, and with a long list of offences, it seems very unlikely that he's innocent. Seriously fucked up.

Could be a conspiracyto implicate a rich guy for the purpose of extortion - in which case, what a nightmare.

But if he is guilty, he and those women should never walk free again.

[Svartalf]

Never heard of him... I just wonder what legal reasons allow the press to name him, but neither of his overage coaccused.

[cronus]

He'll get a couple of years and hopefully grow out of it?

[Audley Strange]

Mentioned this during the Savile Witch Trials. It does seem insane and the first thing that came to my mind was perhaps his brain was scrambled by massive amounts of cocaine.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Have fun in prison, dude. You'll get a taste of your own in there.

[charlou]

Just can't even imagine it. I can usually picture something, no matter how foul.

As an example of culturally acceptable "sexual touching" of a baby, circumcision came to my mind.

[Cormac]

Don't forget that he has denied the charges and is going to trial. He may very well be acquitted.

That the two women have confessed is no indication that he head anything to do with it at all.

That those women can't be named probably indicates that they have some familial relationship with the child/ren and baby/ies involved (or other relationship who's public disclosure Gould be likely to expose the identities of the children). That he has been named indicates that he has no such relationship.

We'll see.

I hope he is not guilty.