Ian Watkins, the former singer of Welsh rock group Lostprophets who is currently in prison for “attempted rape of a baby” and other child sex offenses, is back in the news this week.
Yesterday it was reported that the 35-year-old musician will not, as it turns out, receive about $220,000 in payments from the sale of his old band’s touring company once he is released from prison in 35 years. Watkins, who does still receive royalties for Lostprophets music, was reported to score nearly a quarter-million dollars after the sale of the band’s touring company, Goonies Touring, split five ways evenly between the group. But the company was broke, says the BBC, and no money is available to its members.
Now, the NME has news that Watkins’ ex-girlfriend, Joanne Mkadzelics, has been “cleared of child sex abuse image offenses by a jury.” Here’s word from the NME:
Joanne Mkadzelics, 39, from Doncaster, had denied seven charges of possessing and distributing indecent images at Cardiff Crown Court earlier this week. Mkadzelics claimed that she encouraged Watkins to send her pictures — and subsequently kept them — so that she could expose him.
It was previously reported that jurors heard excerpts from a sex tape the pair had made together in 2008, which included them talking about their desires to abuse young children together. Prosecuting lawyer Jim Davies told the court that the video, which was titled ‘Jo paedo talk Cardiff’ and was made four years before Watkins’ arrest for a string of sex offences, showed them having sex and added: “While they were having sex they were talking about her getting pregnant so they could have a child to abuse.”
Speaking about today’s verdict, Deputy Chief Constable for South Wales Police, Matt Jukes, told the BBC: “We respect the decision of the court today.”
Watkins was convicted in December 2013, and in July of last year lost an appeal to have his sentence reduced. The judges cited the “shocking depravity” of his crimes in their decision to uphold his jail term, according to the UK publication.