**Man Suspended Sentence After Secretly Filming Young Boys in Aberavon Seafront Toilets**
A man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of covertly recording young boys using public toilets at a popular Welsh seafront. The disturbing offences, which took place at Aberavon seafront, have prompted concerns over the safety of children in public spaces and have led to a decade-long registration as a sex offender for the perpetrator.
Jordan Hayes, aged 27, was brought before Swansea Crown Court after his behaviour aroused suspicion and was eventually reported to police by the parents of one of his victims. The court heard that Hayes deliberately targeted lone children at the seafront toilets. He was described as “loitering” in the vicinity before following his victims inside and using his mobile phone to film them by slipping the device beneath the gap of the cubicle wall.
Prosecutor Dean Pulling outlined how the offences unfolded in April of this year. According to the court’s findings, Hayes began his predatory conduct with internet research into the toilet block at Aberavon beachfront before travelling to the site by car. He then positioned himself strategically on a bench close to the public conveniences, allowing him to observe people entering and leaving over a period of 90 minutes.
During this time, Hayes entered the toilet block on two separate occasions. On each occasion, he selected a stall adjacent to that occupied by a lone boy and surreptitiously filmed the child with his phone. The offending was brought to light when a seven-year-old boy noticed the phone emerging under the partition and quickly informed his parents after their visit.
The parents reported the upsetting discovery to the authorities, prompting police to examine CCTV footage from the area, known locally as the “Tellytubby toilets”. Officers were able to identify the suspect’s pattern of behaviour and, crucially, matched him to a vehicle seen at the scene. This enabled them to trace Hayes to his home in Aberavon, where he was promptly arrested. His phone was seized as evidence.
Upon examination of the device, officers found video footage of two separate boys, one of whom has yet to be identified but is believed to be approximately ten years old. In addition to these recordings, they also discovered Google Maps searches relating to the location of the toilets, as well as several images captured around Port Talbot, including at least one showing a child near the seafront promenade. Police determined that the photographs themselves were not subject to charges.
When interviewed by police, Hayes exercised his right to remain silent by replying “no comment” to all questions posed, bar one instance when he informed officers that he has “mild autism”. Hayes, now residing at the Ambassador Hotel in Neath, entered guilty pleas to two counts of voyeurism and one count of creating a Category C indecent image of a child. The court confirmed that Hayes had no previous criminal convictions.
Addressing the court, defence counsel Matt Murphy acknowledged the deeply unsettling nature of the offences and the psychological impact likely suffered by the victims and their families. Murphy proposed that there would be greater benefit to the wider community if probation officers were able to intervene and address the issues that contributed to Hayes’ criminal actions.
Sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas KC described the defendant’s actions as “most concerning”, stressing that Hayes’ conduct amounted to “perverted” behaviour. The judge noted that, were it not for the fact that Hayes had spent the equivalent of a six-month custodial sentence on remand, a term of immediate imprisonment would have been inevitable. Instead, Hayes received a total of 14 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to take part in mental health treatment and a rehabilitation programme.
Strict conditions were imposed, including his addition to the sex offenders’ register for ten years and the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration. Judge Thomas warned Hayes that any further offending would result in a “long time” in prison, to which Hayes confirmed his understanding.
The case has cast a spotlight on safeguarding in public spaces, prompting renewed calls for vigilance from both the public and authorities. Support services are available for survivors of sexual abuse and their families, and local organisations continue to work towards ensuring the safety of vulnerable individuals in the community.
For those affected by similar incidents, there are helplines and charities such as Lifecentre, NAPAC, One in Four, Safeline, The Survivors Trust, and Rape Crisis, all offering confidential support, resources, and advocacy.