Former Tata Worker Unmasked After Messaging Someone He Thought Was a 14‑Year‑Old Boy

A former Tata steelworker has been sentenced after sending sexualised messages to someone he believed was a 14‑year‑old boy — only to discover he had been communicating with an undercover police officer.

Stephen Davies, 57, was arrested after officers seized his phone and uncovered explicit and illegal videos, including prohibited images of children and extreme pornography.

Undercover operation exposes offender

Swansea Crown Court heard that Davies began chatting in September 2024 with what he thought was an 18‑year‑old man on the dating site FabGuys. The profile was actually a decoy run by police.

After moving the conversation to WhatsApp, the officer revealed he was 14. Davies said this was “not a problem” and went on to send sexualised messages describing acts he wanted to perform.

Police later arrested Davies at his home in Cwmavon and seized his devices.

Illegal videos discovered

On his phone, officers found:

- Prohibited images involving cartoon characters  

- An extreme video involving an animal  

- Evidence he was part of an online group sharing unlawful content  

Davies admitted chatting with the decoy but denied having any sexual interest in children.

‘Completely out of character’, court told

Davies, who had worked in the steelworks for nearly 30 years and had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to:

- Attempted sexual communication with a child  

- Possession of prohibited images of a child  

- Possession of extreme pornography  

His barrister said the behaviour was “completely out of character” and suggested loneliness, ill‑health and isolation may have contributed.

Judge: ‘Not man enough to accept the obvious’

Judge Paul Thomas KC said it was disappointing that Davies still refused to acknowledge the reality of his actions.

He added that the shame and fall from grace would likely be the most significant punishment for a man previously regarded as respectable.

Sentence

With credit for his guilty pleas, Davies received:

- A two‑year community order  

- A requirement to complete a rehabilitation programme  

- A £500 fine  

- Five years on the sex offenders register  

- A five‑year Sexual Harm Prevention Order

For more news visit Pulse Media.