Ex-AM on child images charges

A FORMER Assembly Member has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.

Simon Thomas, pictured, resigned from his role as a Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales in July.

He was arrested in July and has twice been bailed for 28 days. Police have now confirmed he has been charged with three counts.

A spokeswoman for DyfedPowys Police said: “We can confirm that 54-year-old Simon Thomas from Aberystwyth has today been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children and will appear at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on October 3, 2018.”

Mr Thomas lives in Aberystwyth with his wife and two children.

A former MP, he was elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Ceredigion in 2000 and 2001.

After losing his seat he became a development manager with Technium, in Pembrokeshire, before becoming a special senior adviser to the Welsh Government. He was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 2011 and again in 2016.

After his resignation the seat was offered to the candidate who had been second on the regional list at the time of the last election.

Former Plaid AM Helen Mary Jones agreed to return to the Senedd and was sworn in in August.

She said her return to politics was with “profound regret”.

Ms Jones said she was ready to undertake “the great honour” of serving the people of Mid and West Wales to the best of her ability.