���˿���

The mother of a former police officer who was given a life sentence for child sex abuse has admitted hiding mobile phones to try to hinder the investigation.

Lewis Edwards, 24, of Cefn Glas, Bridgend, used Snapchat to groom more than 200 girls online and admitted 160 counts of child sexual abuse and blackmail involving 4,500 indecent images of children.

His parents, Rebekah, 47, and Mark Edwards, 51, were both charged with perverting the course of justice by concealing devices.

Mr Edwards was cleared at Merthyr Crown Court.

The pair, of Longfellow Drive, Cefn Glas, both faced the same charge relating to the concealment of three mobile phones between February and August 2023.

Edward’s mother pleaded guilty to the charge but Mr Edwards denied it, to which the prosecution said it would offer no evidence against him, so he was found not guilty.

Defence barrister Giles Hayes said Edwards was "previously of good character" and a "primary carer for her mother," and requested time for pre-sentence reports to be made ahead of sentencing.

She was given conditional bail.

Her son appeared via video link from Parkhurst Prison where he pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by concealing mobile phones and three further charges of possession of indecent images.

A sentencing date for both has been set for 22 November.