How police officer Lewis Edwards groomed over 200 girls
Cops Gone BadThe new series of Cops Gone Bad with Will Mellor delves into the ultimate betrayal of trust: when serving police officers abandon their duty and commit horrific crimes. Series three starts Monday, 17th February on Crime+Investigation.
Social media has become a part of our everyday lives, providing instant connection and convenience. But when used for sinister purposes, it can also be incredibly harmful.
Hidden behind a veil of anonymity, social media allows anyone to pretend to be anything, making truth difficult to discern and moderation challenging.
Lewis Edwards exploited this digital facade to devastating effect. A former police officer, he used Snapchat to groom over 200 young girls, abusing not only the platform’s anonymity but also the trust and authority his role afforded him.
This article examines the crimes of Lewis Edwards, including how he used his position to prey on the vulnerable.
Who is Lewis Edwards?
Lewis Edwards is a former South Wales police officer from Cefn Glas in Bridgend, Wales. He joined the force as a police constable in January 2021.
It was after he joined the police that most of his crimes took place, though there was one girl who was contacted before January 2021.
The crimes of Lewis Edwards
Between November 2020 and February 2023, Edwards contacted around 210 young girls between the ages of 10 and 16 via the social media platform Snapchat.
Edwards set up fake accounts and posed as a teenage boy to lure the girls in. He would then talk to the girls and try to gain their trust. Once he gained that trust, he manipulated them into sending explicit images of themselves to him.
When Edwards had the image in his possession, he would blackmail the child he was speaking to and make demands. He would threaten to send the pictures to their family and friends.
He also threatened to post them online and made violent threats against the families of some of his victims. Some of the violence that he threatened included a bomb threat, saying he would bomb one of his victims' homes if they did not send him what he asked for.
His demands usually involved getting the child to send more explicit images or videos of the girls engaging in sexual activity with themselves.
Edwards also used a website which distributes child sex abuse content, purchasing images through Bitcoin transactions. However, some of his interactions with his victims led investigators to believe he was attempting to distribute and sell images himself.
Within the two and a half years of Edwards’ offending, he received around 4,500 sexually explicit images of children.
Lewis Edwards sentencing
In October 2023, Edwards was sentenced to life in prison at Cardiff Crown Court. The sentencing hearing lasted three days and Edwards was given several concurrent sentences. The life sentence he was given came with a 12-year minimum term.
Not only will Edwards face a life sentence, but he’ll also be given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. This order means that he will never be able to work with vulnerable people or children.
The order means that his personal details will always have to be logged with the police. In addition, he is barred from ever returning to policing.
Concealing evidence
Edwards’ parents also faced charges in this case. Both were charged with perverting the course of justice as they were accused of concealing mobile phone devices.
Edwards’ father denied the charges and was cleared due to lack of evidence, but his mother pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Justice for the victims
Lewis Edwards’ heinous crimes have affected the lives of hundreds of young, vulnerable girls.
During his trial, recordings and statements from the victims made it clear how scarred they were from their interactions with him.
Not only did they feel shame and confusion about their abuse, but they also had to come to terms with the fact that the person who did this to them was an officer of the law. This was a person who should have protected them but instead subjected them to abuse and blackmail.
Edwards will be serving a minimum sentence of 12 years before he will be considered for parole. His victims will not be as lucky, as they will forever be haunted by the horrific abuse and cruel manipulation that he subjected them to.
