Posted on 04/15/2022 4:51:31 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Geraint Rowlands, 64, set up a fake identity to seek out 'disturbing' content online
A convicted male sex offender posed online as a "56-year-old lesbian named Carol" to search the internet for "disturbing" content. In 2017 Geraint ap Dewi Rowlands was handed a two-year suspended sentence and banned for 10-years from using any social networking websites or apps without first making the police aware.
But the 64-year-old from Cleveland Avenue in Tywyn, Gwynedd, who'd been found guilty of possessing extreme and prohibited pornographic images, was caught using a fake identity in order to look for indecent images of young girls.
He appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, April 13) for breaching his existing sexual harm prevention order. The court heard how Rowlands had completed the requirements of his suspended sentence - including unpaid work - without issue until the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020.
Read more: The paedophiles jailed for historic offences in Wales
Prosecutor, Mr Dafydd Roberts, revealed how Rowlands had gone back to accessing banned websites as early as March of that year. And his online records showed that he continued accessing apps and websites until June 2021.
Last summer, a North Wales Police officer seized a mobile phone and a laptop from Rowlands' home address and discovered he had been accessing various apps, using a fake identity of 'Carol Jones' on one.
The court heard how, using the 'Carol' character, he'd set up an account on Flickr - a picture sharing website. She was portrayed as a "56-year-old lesbian", said Mr Roberts.
Conversations on some of the other apps showed that Rowlands had been apparently speaking to other sexual offenders with similar interests to him. One message referred to "young girls and canines" being "high on his list of pleasures."
North Wales Live also reported how the dad-of-two's internet history had been found to contain various "disturbing" search terms. One of these included an "erotic stories" website on which he'd looked for material about underage girls.
Upon his arrest Rowlands admitted to setting up the accounts and using them but denied any sexual interest in children. He also let slip that he had "six or seven" email addresses of which the police were not aware.
Defending, Mr Simon Rodgers, said that he accepted the content his client went looking for online was "deeply concerning". He added that Rowlands made no attempt to contact any children or download any content.
Mr Rodgers said it was not uncommon in cases such as these for defendants to try to "hide" their "distorted" desires from the authorities. He suggested that a longer, community-based punishment, where such predilections could be addressed through the probation service, would be more beneficial to Rowlands receiving a "limited" prison sentence.
Judge Timothy Petts accepted that the defence had to make these arguments but completely disagreed. He said that there was "no realistic prospect of rehabilitation" for these "disturbing" habits.
There is a quick, surgical way to make his fantasies come true.
I have to wonder: Did any underage girls actually share their photos with “56yo lesbian Carol” or was it all just weirdos sharing photos they got from somewhere? And how funny and sad that whole thing is.
I actually have never thought about that possibility. You always see the warnings for girls or boys about not being able to accurately identify who the person is that you are messaging. But it is entirely possible that both sides could be equally ignorant. Like in Ready Player One -
“I’m serious. She could actually be a 300 pound dude who lives in his momma’s basement in suburban Detroit. And her name is Chuck.” -Aech
Aw man..... Carol was Lez?
Two hours I’ll never get back.
Who’s to say that he didn’t identify as such? Did he do anything different from the swimmer? (OK he did it online not in person).
“posed online as a “56-year-old lesbian named Carol”
Who has never done that?
The internet really fueled this whole “you can be whatever you say you want to be and everyone has to take you seriously” fad.
If the entire internet all over the world went down for two weeks - even just for two weeks - probably a lot of people, forced into real-time face-to-face interaction with others, would spontaneously combust.
Every MMORPG has its handful of long-time subscription players who are men pretending to be sexy chicks. They’ll have a huge number of followers and they’re always quite vigilant against real females who start playing the game, who usually will get run off the board pretty quickly.
Usually these players are gay men but not always - sometimes they’re looking to blackmail married guys who want to cheat on their wives.
It’s been a while since I’ve visited MMORPG land but it used to be kinda funny: I’m a female and I make a female character and INSTANTLY all these other players are like “YOU’RE AN OLD HOMO! YOU’RE NOT A REAL GIRL!” I’ll be like “Wow, how did you figure me out?”
I’m a lesbian.
I love women. I adore them.
I was born this way.
I only play ESO and I know who some of the people in my guild are personally. I have no idea who anybody else is and I really don’t follow anybody. (I don’t think I know how to follow anybody)
This thread is leaving me a bit confused about what is going on out there in internet land.
You’re supposed to be confused.
I’ve never played ESO. It looks kinda tempting. But I always get bored and quit a game after a while and then just leave my poor character to fend for himself.
What I like about ESO is the learning curve isn’t too steep and I do not HAVE to invest a specific amount of time every week. I can go back to the character and step off exactly how I left them.
I have a lot on my plate and free recreational time is a very small section of it.
Actually that’s commendable. With me I play a game like h3ll for several weeks and then get sick of it and drop it, sometimes for months, sometimes forever. Don’t stop playing! It makes for a well-rounded individual.
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