Residents reassured over ‘black magic sex cult’ leader

POLICE have moved to reassure people that a notorious paedophile and sex cult leader who abused children and young adults has not been released back into the local community.

Colin Batley was jailed in 2011 after being found guilty at Swansea Crown Court of carrying out a series of perverted sexual attacks.

Having moved to Wales in the 1990s from London, Batley, aged 48 when he was sent to prison, set up what was described in court as a “black magic sex cult”, of which he was the self-appointed ‘high priest’, at a quiet cul-de-sac in the small town of Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire.

In total, he was found guilty of three indecent assaults, causing prostitution for personal gain, causing a child to have sex and inciting a child to have sex, and 11 counts of rape.

Three women were also jailed for crimes associated with the group.

Jacqueline Marling, then aged 42, was jailed for 12 years, while Batley’s wife Elaine, then aged 47, was jailed for eight years.

Shelly Millar, then aged 35, was jailed for five years.

As the “evil and manipulative” leader of the group - who smiled and laughed in court as he was found guilty - Batley was warned he may never be released and told that he would serve a minimum term of 11 years.

One of Batley’s victims later spoke out to describe how he had forced her to wear a satanic symbol and raped her as a teenager.

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said at the time: “He (Colin) was the boss. He barked orders at everybody including me. People just did what they were told. He had Rottweilers that were scared of him but vicious to everyone else.

“At 15 I had to have sex with Colin. He said it was an initiation into the occult. He said he did not want to do it but it had to be done. He said if I did not follow orders I would be killed.

“People ‘higher up’ in the cult would do it, he said.”

However, despite that, rumours have circulated in the past week or so that Batley had been released from prison and that he was living in the Carmarthen area – just 10 miles away from where he carried out some of his terrible crimes in Kidwelly. This speculation led to concerns in the area that a convicted sex offender and rapist was now residing within the community.

However, it has now been confirmed that Batley is still serving a custodial sentence in Gloucestershire, with a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman confirming that: “Colin Batley is still in custody at HMP Ashfield.”

In response, Dyfed-powys Police has attempted to allay fears in the local community.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “We have been made aware of speculation and concern in Carmarthen that convicted sex offender Colin Batley has been released into the community, which is not the case.

“Therefore, we urge people to refrain from posting any further speculation or possibly libellous content on this.”