Craig Henton, 54, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for abusing a child and planning further abuse online. The National Crime Agency (NCA) led the investigation into Henton, who admitted to 18 offenses in October 2025. He was sentenced on Tuesday at Swansea Crown Court.
The NCA described Henton as a "predatory and dangerous paedophile" who had abused a child and expressed a willingness to meet others for sexual gratification. According to the agency, Henton communicated with users on encrypted messaging apps between February and May 2024, stating he had been a paedophile for 25 years. He admitted to befriending a vulnerable mother to gain access to her daughter for the purpose of grooming and sexual abuse.
Investigators discovered over 4,000 indecent images and videos on a device seized from Henton's home in Port Talbot. Of these, 918 were classified as Category A, the most serious type. The child targeted by Henton, who was between three and five years old, has been identified and safeguarded.
Henton was arrested in May and June 2024 on suspicion of assault of a girl under 13 and arranging the commission of a child sex offense. While he offered no comment during questioning, he was subsequently charged with 18 offenses. A further 1,400 indecent images were recovered from another device seized in April 2024.
In addition to his 21-year prison sentence, Henton will serve an additional six years on license and is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will also be on the sex offender register for life, and his victims have been granted indefinite restraining orders against him.
Danielle Pownall of the NCA stated that Henton participated in chat groups specifically designed to facilitate and justify child sexual abuse. She added, "He was open about being a paedophile for 25 years and his intention to target vulnerable women so he could abuse their children." The NCA affirmed its commitment to working with partners to protect children from such abusers.