Ian Watkins, the former frontman of Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has died aged 48.
The singer was serving a 29-year prison sentence for a catalogue of child s** offenses when he became the subject of a police investigation following a serious incident at HMP Wakefield.
The 48-year-old, originally from Pontypridd, had been in custody since 2013 after admitting a series of crimes that a judge said ‘plumbed new depths of depravity,’ per the BBC.
He was arrested in September 2012 after police seized a large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices during a drugs warrant at his home.
Watkins later pleaded guilty to the attempted r*** and s**ual assault of a child under 13, conspiracy to r*** a child, three separate assaults involving children, seven charges related to making and possessing indecent images of children, and possession of an extreme p**ographic image involving a s** act with an animal.
He denied actual r*** but was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to 29 years in prison with a further six years on license. Two female co-defendants, both mothers of children he abused, were jailed for 14 and 17 years.
At sentencing, Mr Justice Royce told Watkins his offending broke ‘new ground’ and would cause ‘shock, revulsion and incredulity’ among the public. The judge said the singer had a ‘corrupting influence’ and showed a ‘complete lack of remorse.’
His appeal against the length of the sentence was dismissed in 2014. Des Mannion, NSPCC head of service for Wales, said at the time: “Watkins used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and s**ually abuse children. But we must nevertheless remember that this case isn’t about celebrity, it’s about victims. And those victims are children.”
Before his crimes were exposed, Watkins had been a successful musician, selling millions of albums worldwide in the 2000s.
Lostprophets, formed in 1997, released five studio albums, secured a UK number one record, and achieved international success with arena tours and top 10 singles. The band disbanded in disgrace following his arrest.
Life in prison had been volatile for Watkins. In 2023, he was stabbed and briefly taken hostage by other inmates at HMP Wakefield, although his injuries at the time were reported as not life-threatening.
He later told a court after being caught with an illegal mobile phone that he was imprisoned alongside ‘murderers, mass murderers, r***sts, p***ophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst.”
A recent inspection report on the prison noted that violence had ‘increased markedly’ and said ‘many prisoners told us they felt unsafe, particularly older men convicted of s**ual offences who increasingly shared the prison with a growing cohort of younger prisoners,’ per the Guardian.
Police and emergency services were called to HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning after reports of an assault on a prisoner inside the facility.
West Yorkshire Police said detectives from the homicide and major inquiry team were investigating and enquiries remain ongoing.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment further while the police investigate.” Prison sources later confirmed that Ian Watkins had died following the attack.
