Paedophile caught loitering at library
A REGISTERED paedophile was caught loitering near the children’s section of a public library in Cardiff less than a week after being released from prison.
Nailly Edwards, 25, was seen by a police officer in Canton Library after they had gone to conduct a check on him at his home but were told he was not in. The defendant was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order handed to him after he was convicted of sexually assaulting two boys in 2011 when he was aged 18.
He was in breach of breach of the order due to being within 10m of a place frequented by children under 16.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court yesterday heard Edwards was released on licence on November 16 after he was recalled to prison for failing to comply with notification requirements.
But just days later, on November 21, officers attended his home address in Lewis Street, Riverside, but were told Edwards was at the library.
Prosecutor Suzanne Payne said: “This raised concerns as this was a place children could frequent.
“On attending Canton Library they saw the defendant standing near to the children’s area and a photograph was taken of him. He was escorted off the premises, arrested and cautioned but he made no reply.
“He was interviewed and accepted he had breached the sexual harm prevention order on that day by being in the library.”
Edwards was recalled to prison on the day of his arrest due to a breach of licence. Ms Payne said the library visit was the fifth breach of the sexual harm prevention order since its creation in 2011.
She said Edwards had also been sentenced for sending malicious communications after messaging his support worker regarding sexual abuse he wanted to carry out on four-year-old girls. He was described by a probation officer as being “sexually preoccupied” with the things he said and described to them said to be “extremely shocking”.
Stephen Thomas, defending, said there had been concerns about his client’s behaviour over the years and issues regarding where the local authority could accommodate him and what support they could offer him.
Mr Thomas said: “He has been ostracised from his community, the travelling community in Pontypool, and has limited support from his family. This defendant is on his own in the community.”
He added: “This is a man who has borderline learning difficulties buy he had never been diagnosed with a mental health illness.”
Judge Patrick Curran asked Mr Thomas if the defendant had been undergone a psychiatric assessment since his initial conviction and was told he had not.
The judge adjourned the sentencing for sentencing for six weeks for a formal psychiatric report on Edwards to be prepared. He was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on January 17.