17/09/2026
🚨Cardiff man who sought ‘paedo woman’ to have children to abuse handed suspended sentence.
A 49-year-old Cardiff man found with hundreds of indecent images of children, including some as young as 12 months old, has been given a suspended prison sentence after telling undercover officers he wanted a “paedo woman” so they could have children to abuse.
John Price, of Clos Glanaber in Trowbridge, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of distributing them.
Police attended his home on 6 June after receiving intelligence that he was sharing indecent images online. Officers said Price initially asked to speak outside before walking quickly into the kitchen and appearing to throw something. It later emerged he had discarded his Samsung phone in an attempt to conceal it. The device was recovered and examined.
Investigators found 467 Category A images, 327 Category B images and 406 Category C images on the phone, along with 18 extreme pornographic images. The youngest children depicted in the Category A material were aged between 12 and 24 months.
Prosecutor Christopher Evans told the court that Price had also taken part in online conversations with undercover police officers posing as people interested in child s*xual abuse. During those chats he distributed a total of 22 Category A images, five Category B images and eight Category C images.
In the messages, Price said he was “no lim” (had no s*xual limitations) and stated: “Unfortunately not yet a dad, I need a paedo woman lol.” He said his preferred ages were “five plus” and later “four plus,” adding that he “loved them young” and “had no limits.”
When speaking to an operative who claimed to have an eight-year-old niece, Price expressed interest in meeting them and said he “would love to have a daughter of his own.” He also sent a video of a child being abused and suggested it could be shown to the child.
The court heard Price had no previous convictions for similar offences, though he had earlier convictions for assault by beating and assaulting emergency workers.
In mitigation, defence barrister Nick Gedge said the majority of the images on the phone were inaccessible and that Price denied having a s*xual interest in children. He told the court his client had been using crack co***ne extensively and had fallen down an “internet rabbit hole.” Price, a former care assistant, had lost both of his parents, was no longer working, and had faced a community backlash that forced him to leave his home.
Recorder Paul Lewis KC rejected the suggestion that Price was not s*xually attracted to children.
Price was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years. He was also ordered to complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and indefinite s*x offender notification requirements.
The case was reported by WalesOnline following the sentencing hearing.
