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©️ Written By Sophie Lewis – The Grooming Files

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A man who actively tried to arrange the sexual abuse of a 10-month-old baby has been sentenced to just three years in prison.

Let that sink in.

Carl Martin, 36, from Cilmaengwyn Road in Pontardawe, believed he was speaking to a mother who was offering up her two young children — a 10-month-old and a seven-year-old — for abuse. But what he didn’t know was that the “mum” he was messaging was actually an undercover officer.

Martin made it clear what he wanted. He asked the mother to explain how far she’d let him go. He used false names and anonymity tools to search for this kind of access online. This wasn’t a one-off conversation. It was deliberate. Repeated. Planned.

And he was caught red-handed.

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What Did He Get?

Three years.
That’s it.
Three years in prison — for plotting to rape a baby.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
But what does that even mean anymore?

Because in reality, he could be out in half that time.

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The Judge’s Words vs. The System’s Actions

Judge Geraint Walters called Martin a “danger to children” and said it was clear he actively sought out this opportunity.

His defence? That he just “wanted to help a single mother.”
The judge called that “fanciful” and “plainly untruthful.”

Still, three years.

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This Is Why Survivors Don’t Trust the System

Because when a man can plan out child rape, lie about it in court, and still walk away with a sentence shorter than some theft cases — survivors see that for what it is.

Not justice.
Permission.

Permission for predators to try again.
Permission for systems to keep failing.
Permission for victims to stay silent — because what’s the point?

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We Have to Say This Out Loud

This isn’t just one man.
This is one of many who are doing this daily — in your town, online, in plain sight.

Carl Martin just happened to message a police officer.

What if it had been a real mother?
What if it had been your child?

The system may be comfortable handing out soft sentences for planned abuse — but we’re not.

We’re not okay.
We’re not quiet.
And we’re not letting this slide.

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Follow The Grooming Files for ongoing coverage of predator exposure, survivor truth, and the fight for real justice.

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