In truly horrifying news, singer Ian Watkins of the Welsh alt-rock outfit Lostprophets has pled guilty to multiple sex crimes.
Wales Online reports that the charges include two counts of attempting to rape a baby, sexually assaulting a child under 13, conspiring to sexually assault a child under 13, taking and possessing indecent photographs of children, and possessing extreme pornography showing a person engaged in a sex act with an animal. Some of the charges date back to 2007.
Watkins's co-defendants — two women aged 21 and 24 — also pled guilty today (November 26) to sex crimes.
"Both, by their pleas, admitted they have sexually abused their own children at the behest of Ian Watkins," said prosecutor Chris Clee QC of the two women, who cannot be named. "They also made their children available to Ian Watkins to be sexually abused."
The prosecutor added that Watkins was a "determined and committed pedophile."
The 36-year-old Watkins was initially charged last December. He previously pled not guilty, and the two women also initially denied the charges.
Lostprophets formed in the late '90s, going on to sell millions of records. On October 1 of this year, the band announced their breakup on Facebook. The note was signed by all of the band members except Watkins, and read, "After nearly a year of coming to terms with our heartache, we finally feel ready to announce publicly what we have thought privately for some time. We can no longer continue making or performing music as Lostprophets."
Watkins will be sentenced on December 18.
Wales Online reports that the charges include two counts of attempting to rape a baby, sexually assaulting a child under 13, conspiring to sexually assault a child under 13, taking and possessing indecent photographs of children, and possessing extreme pornography showing a person engaged in a sex act with an animal. Some of the charges date back to 2007.
Watkins's co-defendants — two women aged 21 and 24 — also pled guilty today (November 26) to sex crimes.
"Both, by their pleas, admitted they have sexually abused their own children at the behest of Ian Watkins," said prosecutor Chris Clee QC of the two women, who cannot be named. "They also made their children available to Ian Watkins to be sexually abused."
The prosecutor added that Watkins was a "determined and committed pedophile."
The 36-year-old Watkins was initially charged last December. He previously pled not guilty, and the two women also initially denied the charges.
Lostprophets formed in the late '90s, going on to sell millions of records. On October 1 of this year, the band announced their breakup on Facebook. The note was signed by all of the band members except Watkins, and read, "After nearly a year of coming to terms with our heartache, we finally feel ready to announce publicly what we have thought privately for some time. We can no longer continue making or performing music as Lostprophets."
Watkins will be sentenced on December 18.
