South Wales Police officer admits 146 child sex offences

A former police officer caught with thousands of child abuse images has pleaded guilty to 146 sex offences.

Lewis Edwards, 23, from Bridgend, admitted 106 charges in May and pleaded guilty to another 40 on Friday.

Cardiff Crown Court heard he possessed more than 4,500 indecent images of children, with more than 700 of those in the most serious category.

South Wales Police investigated when it received intelligence about suspicious online activity.

This involved downloading child abuse images from the dark web.

Edwards was then identified as a serving officer on that force.

The court heard his youngest victim was 10.

Among the offences were 23 of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, six of engaging a child to watch a sexual act, nine of making indecent images, one of child exploitation and one of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

As well as the child sex offences, which occurred from 2020 to 2023, he also pleaded guilty to 14 blackmail offences.

These involved making unwanted demands for indecent images of children.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke remanded Edwards in custody.

He will be sentenced on 23 October.