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James Moorhouse
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Ian Watkins, the convicted paedophile and former frontman of the rock band Lostprophets, has died after a prison attack.
Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year jail term at HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire, after being convicted of multiple sexual offences in 2013.
The Welsh rockstar was found guilty of 13 separate sexual offences back in December 2013, which included the horrific attempted rape of a baby.
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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 case broke 'new ground' and 'plunged into new depths of depravity'.
"Those who have appeared in these courts over many years, see here, a large number of horrific cases," he said.
"This case breaks new ground. Any decent person...will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity."
The judge said Watkins had a 'corrupting influence' and had shown a 'complete lack of remorse'.
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It isn't the first time that the sex abuser was targeted in prison, with the former lead vocalist also targeted back in 2023, after he was stabbed and taken hostage by three other prisoners, before being rushed to the hospital in a life-threatening condition.
However, this morning's attack proved to be fatal, with West Yorkshire Police confirming that detectives from the homicide and major inquiry team are investigating after prison staff reported an assault on a prisoner this morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Watkins had sold millions of albums during his 20s with the rock band Lostprophets, who are best known for their hit single Last Train Home, but they disbanded in the wake of Watkins' arrest, with the other members joining American singer Geoff Rickly to form a new band, No Devotion.
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After Watkins was sentenced, Des Mannion, NSPCC national head of service for Wales, said: "Watkins used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and sexually abuse children.
"But we must nevertheless remember that this case isn't about celebrity, it's about victims. And those victims are children.
"The effects of these crimes can last a lifetime, and there are many other children - victims of Ian Watkins or others like him - that desperately need our help."
A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigate his death.
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.