LOSTPROPHETS Singer IAN WATKINS' Child Sex Case: Sentencing Remarks Posted Online

LOSTPROPHETS singer Ian Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison after pleading guilty to 13 sexual offense charges, including the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby. According to BBC News, the 36-year-old Watkins was sentenced on Wednesday (December 18) after pleading guilty last month at Cardiff Crown Court in Wales, where Watkins is from. His two co-defendants, women in their 20s who were the mothers of children he abused, were handed prison terms of 14 and 17 years.

Watkins must serve at least two-thirds of his jail time before being eligible for parole, followed by another six years of probation.

The judge in the case said it broke "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of depravity."

He added that Watkins showed a "complete lack of remorse" and that what the women did in handing over their children to Watkins was "both sickening and incomprehensible."

Watkins' defense attorney said that her client "belatedly realized the gravity of what happened" and was "deeply, deeply sorry." The singer has maintained that he did not remember many of the incidents due to drug abuse.

You can read the sentencing remarks as a PDF file at this location.

Watkins admitted to the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.

He also pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape a child, 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.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle, the senior officer on the case, revealed that new information has led to investigations of Watkins' activities now being launched in Germany and the United States.

Watkins was arrested last December on the charges. LOSTPROPHETS announced they were splitting in October and denounced their former singer in recent statements.