Sex abuser gave boys vapes then assaulted them

A MAN with a sexual attraction to young adolescent males followed boys and bought them vapes before touching them.

- JASON EVANS

Stephen Cannon is a registered sex offender, having previously been convicted of trying to rape a 15-year-old boy and then sexually grooming a vulnerable teenager he'd met on a football fans Facebook page.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said it was clear from a detailed pre-sentence report that Cannon poses a high risk of causing serious harm to adolescent boys and that the risk is “almost impossible to manage in the community.” He handed the 37-year-old defendant an extended sentence.

The court heard that Cannon followed two 13-year-old boys in Ammanford, bought them vapes and then sexually touched them over their clothing. Statements read to the court by prosecution barrister Ian Wright set out the impact of the offending on the boys, who had been left scared, worried and fearful of encountering the defendant again.