Accuser of Lostprophets’ Ian Watkins Arrested for Possessing Indecent Images
Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison plus 6 years probation late last year on a number of child sex offenses, but at the time of the sentencing police were still investigating additional allegations. It turns out that the investigation has led to a surprising arrest.
According to Wales Online, a woman who had previously been insisted she had a relationship with Watkins and had been quite vocal in the press about the singer's proclivities has herself been charged with possessing and distributing indecent images of children.
Joanne Mjadzelics was charged with seven counts and will appear in court later this month. The Crown Prosecution Service says there is "sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest" to charge Mjadzelics. She was charged with four counts of possession of an indecent image, two counts of distributing an indecent image and one count of encouraging another to distribute an indecent image.
Late last year, Mjadzelics made news by revealing that she had reached out to police as far back as five years ago with her concerns about Watkins. At the time, she stated, "Everything changed for us when he confided in me that he wanted to abuse children in 2008. I went straight to South Wales police then and made a complaint but they ignored me and said I needed evidence. I warned them this man was a danger to young kids but I think they thought I was just a trouble maker.”
The woman has been ordered by South Wales Police to appear before the Cardiff Magistrates Court on March 21. A spokesperson for the IPCC said the charges against Ms. Mjadzelics had no bearing on its continued investigation into the responses of three police forces to allegations that Watkins was abusing children.