South Wales Police officer used Snapchat to blackmail young girls into sending him graphic images
A South Wales Police officer was caught by his own force in what has been described as "extreme" and "predatory" abuse of girls as young as twelve.
Lewis Edwards, 23, from Bridgend, posed as a teenager on Snapchat to gain the trust of children, before asking them to send images and videos that he covertly recorded.
He would then use the material to blackmail his victims into sending him increasingly graphic and explicit images.
Edwards, who appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, was a serving police officer when his crimes were uncovered.
He was caught after police intelligence uncovered he had accessed and downloaded indecent images of children from the dark web.
Police chiefs said they were "sickened" by Edwards' crimes, particularly as he was employed as an officer at the time of the offending.
Edwards admitted 106 child sexual offences and will be sentenced on 23 August.
The South Wales Police Online Investigation Team said twelve victims have been identified so far with ongoing work being done to identify and support the remaining victims.
Following his arrest, the force said Edwards was "immediately suspended from duty and resigned", and has been added to the barred list, preventing him from returning to policing.
Detective Superintendent Tracey Rankine, head of the Police Online Investigation Team, said: “Our investigation has involved forensically examining encrypted computer equipment and mobile devices which led to the recovery of shocking material. The strength of this evidence has resulted in him admitting the charges against him.”
Assistant Chief Constable Danny Richards said he was "sickened" by the offences. “The public will be as shocked and sickened as I am that such appalling offences have been committed by a serving police officer.
"The behaviour of Lewis Edwards only serves to damage the public’s trust and confidence in policing and undermines the work of the vast majority of responsible, hard-working police officers who serve the communities of South Wales with courage and pride.
“As soon as it came to light that Edwards was a serving police officer, he was suspended and accelerated misconduct proceedings were brought against him which led to him being dismissed and barred from returning to policing.
“There is no place in South Wales Police for anyone who abuses the personal responsibility they hold as a police officer."
Lucy Dowdall, Specialist Prosecutor in the CPS’s Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said over a period of four years, Edwards engaged in "sustained abuse" where he threatened and blackmailed his victims.
“Edwards wrongly believed that the police would not investigate his activity and arrogantly told victims that was the case. This case demonstrates the determination of law enforcement and prosecutors to bring all on-line sexual offenders to justice.
She added: “The case also illustrates that the Dark Web is not a safe place for sexual offenders to operate. Once intelligence identified Edwards, South Wales Police moved very rapidly to arrest him, and he was charged soon afterwards. The prosecution has stopped his abuse from continuing.
“The CPS Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit was set up in April 2022, as a specialist unit dedicated to prosecuting child sexual abuse, in all its forms.”