Chilling final tweet of paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins before being charged as he dies in prison
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
The final tweet made by former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins before he was charged with child abuse crimes has resurfaced following his death at the age of 48.
Yesterday (11 October) it was confirmed that the notorious paedophile had died in prison after being stabbed at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
"Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield," a spokesperson for the police said in a statement.
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"Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner.
"A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene."
The statement also confirmed that two men have been arrested over alleged involvement in Watkins' killing, adding: "Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.
"Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and inquiries remain ongoing."
Watkins' former girlfriend has also spoken out following his death, saying she's surprised it 'took so long' for him to be killed.
Following the news of his death, an eerie final tweet made on the disgraced singer's X account resurfaced online.
Dated to 16 December 2012, the singer wrote: "Well......that escalated pretty quickly......I do apologise...."
It's not exactly clear what he was referring to at the time, previous posts would suggest he had been 'live-tweeting' while watching a film, however he would be arrested a day later for his crimes.
The singer's account would cause controversy four years later in 2016 when it was suddenly reactivated, with Watkins appearing to 'tweet' from prison. Dated to November 2016, the account posted two links to a Soundcloud account under the name 'L’AmourLaMorgue'.
It was not clear at the time whether or not Watkins had been able to access the account or if he'd been hacked, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said he did not have access to a mobile phone (via The Independent).
In 2018 Watkins received a 10 month prison sentence after being found in possession of a mobile phone.
Why was Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins in prison?
Watkins was serving a 29 year sentence at the high security prison after being convicted of 13 separate sex offences in 2013, which included the attempted rape of a baby.
Charges also included three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.
During sentencing, Justice Royce said the disgraced singer had shown a 'complete lack of remorse' for his crimes, adding: "Any decent person looking at and listening to the material here will experience shock, revulsion, anger and incredulity."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Topics: Music, Crime, UK News, Social Media
Brenna Cooper