Wow, as if this story could not get any weirder, keep on reading. Update: New details at the bottom of the post.
Former Lostprophets vocalist Ian Watkins was arrested in December of last year along with two women for allegedly raping a one-year-old girl, conspiracy to rape another child, making and distributing indecent imagery and “extreme” animal pornography, amongst other charges.
Today, the trial finally began, and Watkins has plead guilty to virtually all of the accusations.
The full breadth of the charges according to The Daily Mirror, who have been posting live updates from the courtroom all day:
The rock star, aged 36 years, is accused of two separate counts of baby rape. Watkins is also charged with conspiracy to rape another child, one count of sexual assault, one of aiding and abetting sexual assault by penetration and conspiracy to sexually assault a child. In addition he faces 17 counts of making, taking and possessing indecent images and one of possessing extreme pornographic image involving an animal.
While previously pleading not guilty, today in the court room, Watkins, while constantly looking back at his lawyers, plead guilty to the two counts of attempting to rape a baby, and various other charges including conspiring to rape another child. He denied there was any actual rape, but he did admit to making the attempt.
He admitted to sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13, and admitted to aiding and abetting his female co-defandant (who will not be named to protect the identity of the children) to sexually assault a child under 13. He also plead guilty to various charges of possessing indecent images of underage children as well as extreme pornography depicting a person engaged in a sex act with an animal.
Sketch via Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire
Watkins filmed himself abusing the child, alongside the child's mother where the band stayed. He sent a message to the mother talking about wanting "to cross the line" to which the mother responded "a summer of incest and child porn" and Watkins responded back "hell yes baby."
Apparently, further details were too graphic to be published by the Daily Mirror. (More on this in a moment).
The prosecution stated that by virtue of his plea, Watkins "accepts he is a determined and committed paedophile."
The women accused in the trial both admitted to having sexually abused their own children at the behest of Watkins and made their children available to Watkins to be abused.
It is assumed these women were fans of Watkins and Lostprophets and Watkins used his fame to "feed his sexual desires" says Des Mannion, the national head of the service for NSPCC Wales. Police are now searching to see if there were another children abused by Watkins.
An ITV news reporter, Rupert Evelyn, was live-tweeting the trial and, as if this story couldn't get more disturbing, he revealed that drug abuse was also involved and that one of the abused child's hair tested positive for exposure to methamphetamine. Crack cocaine was alos brought up, as was discussion of whoring out the children.
Sentencing will happen on December 18th. The rest of Lostprophets announced earlier this year that in light of this situation, they can no longer continue as a group.
Update Nov. 26, 2013 3:55pm Eastern: The Huffington Post has published even more specific details of the disgusting acts Watkins performed:
“The charges included sexually touching a one-year-old and encouraging one crazed groupie to abuse her own child during a sordid webcam chat on Skype.
Detectives successfully downloaded the recorded footage, 45 minutes long, in which Watkins talks about how they were going to use the baby for sex.
In the footage, which takes the form of a split screen, Watkins is seen to pleasure himself and refer to the woman and her baby as his “slave duo.”
The pair also discuss looking after the child as it grows up and making it have sex with animals and take drugs.
The child’s mother, speaking to Watkins, also refers to her baby as “your little fuck toy.”
At a later date she sent him a picture of herself having oral sex with the baby.
Mr Clee said that when police raided the home of Watkins following his arrest in September last year they also found a box of camcorder cassettes.
These proved to hold recordings of filmed sex acts with under age girl fans, one of whom he met up with in a New York hotel.
Mr Clee said that one girl, 16, contacted Watkins saying she was a fan who was still a virgin and went on to agree to give her virginity to him.
She then flew from Boston to New York and went to a hotel where he was staying, bringing with her a schoolgirl outfit he had asked her to dress in.
They are then filmed having oral and full sex before he asks her: “Do you like being my underage slut.”
Mr Clee added: “He finishes by urinating over her face and telling her to ‘drink my piss.’”
“Prosecuting QC Chris Clee gave details of a sickening plot to turn babies in subservient sex slaves using hard drugs.
Watkins and Woman A swapped messages where the frontman spoke of his sick desire to “make him mine” and to “cross the line”.
They also spoke of plans to blow crystal-meth smoke into the child’s face at a secret meet up in a Cardiff hotel.
And on March 23, Watkins sent the woman a message saying he wanted a “summer of filthy child porn” and how he wanted to take things “to the next level”.
Mr Clee also gave details of a sickening 17-minute video involving Watkins and Woman A.
Mr Clee said camcorder footage was shot in a London hotel room which showed Watkins perform a sex act on the child.
Computer analysts found the footage uploaded to online storage facility The Cloud.Mr Clee said that following this meeting, the pair exchanged emails about how they would not go “easy” on the child next time.”
As if his douchiness wasn't completely evident, it's being reported that Watkin's computer password was "if**kkids" – yes we censored that.
Former Lostprophets guitarist tweeted earlier today:
That was over quick. Thank fuck.
— LeeGaze (@streeettrash) November 26, 2013
Thanks for the kind words. At least there is closure now. X
— LeeGaze (@streeettrash) November 26, 2013
