LOSTPROPHETS Singer's Stepfather: We Thought, 'There Must Be Some Mistake Here'

The stepfather of LOSTPROPHETS singer Ian Watkins has spoken to the Daily Mail about being "devastated" to hear about his son's "heinous" crimes against children, expressing his fear that Watkins will be remembered as a "Jimmy Savile character".

Watkins appeared in court in Cardiff, Wales on Tuesday (November 26) and pleaded guilty to a number of child-sex charges including attempting to rape a baby. Two female co-defendants, who cannot be named, also admitted to numerous child-sex offenses.

Watkins' stepfather, church minister John Davies, told the Daily Mail: "Ian was loved, cherished, encouraged and nurtured. We did our best. He was a normal happy young lad who grew up in the Valleys in a loving family which had no more problems than anybody else has."

He added: "I don't know how this will turn out. I don't know whether he will be remembered for years to come as somebody infamous and evil — like a sort of Jimmy Savile character. I hope not.

"I hope something will happen to change that perception of people. Time will tell. We're going to do our best to support him and hope for the best, that's all we can do."

Speaking about his family's horror at the charges read out in court in Cardiff yesterday, Davies said: "It was devastating. We thought, 'there must be some mistake here. There must be some reason for this. There's no way that this is true... We just left the magistrates' court in a state of absolute despair and shock."

Meanwhile, former call girl Joanne Majic — who says she has had an on-off relationship with Watkins from 2006 — claims she went straight to the authorities when he confided in her about his desire to have sex with children. She tells the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Everything changed for us when he confided in me that he wanted to abuse children in 2008. I went straight to South Wales Police then and made a complaint but they ignored me and said I needed evidence. I warned them this man was a danger to young kids but I think they thought I was just a troublemaker.

"I couldn't believe how indifferent the police were, it was like they were taking his side and dismissing me as some stalker. I told Ian I had gone to the police and we argued but he was so cocky, he did not think the police would touch him and he was right."