LOSTPROPHETS Singer IAN WATKINS To Appeal Length Of His Prison Sentence

According to BBC News, LOSTPROPHETS singer Ian Watkins is seeking to appeal his 29-year prison sentence for child sex offenses, including the attempted rape of a baby.

The Court of Appeal confirmed an application was lodged two days ago.

The 36-year-old Watkins was sentenced on December 18, 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 sexual offense charges 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.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, 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.

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.

Meanwhile, 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 in December 2012 on the charges.

LOSTPROPHETS announced they were splitting in October 2013 and denounced their former singer in recent statements.

Watkins apparently told a female fan in a phone call shortly after he pleaded guilty that he didn't "know what everyone is getting so freaked out about." In another phone call, he told a friend that "there was no medical evidence" and "nobody was harmed," adding, "I'm not a pedophile, I'm not. You know I plead[ed] guilty just to avoid a trial, not realizing 'Hang on, that makes me look a bit guilty' but I would never harm anybody."