### Teen Who Attempted ‘Paedophile Hunting’ Jailed After Robbing Vulnerable Boy in Swansea
A teenager from Morriston has been sentenced for a violent robbery of a vulnerable young person in a case that has shocked the local community and highlighted failures in previous interventions by social and probation services. Logan Edge, now 18, was handed an extended sentence at Swansea Crown Court after a harrowing incident that left the victim, a boy with significant learning difficulties, traumatised and humiliated.
The incident occurred on 15 April this year in Morriston, near Swansea, when Edge, then 17, covered his face with a balaclava and approached the 16-year-old victim. Brandishing a knife, Edge physically assaulted the boy, slapping him multiple times while hurling insults and accusations of being a “dirty nonce.” The court heard Edge claimed to be acting in the role of a “paedophile hunter”, although no evidence was presented to support his vigilante suspicions against the teenager he targeted.
As the attack unfolded, Edge held a knife to the side of the victim’s head and threatened to stab him if he resisted. In a particularly cruel act, when the victim received a phone call from his mother during the ordeal, Edge seized the handset and threw it onto a nearby rooftop, effectively cutting off a potential lifeline. Much of the distressing incident was recorded on a mobile phone by another youth present at the scene.
The prosecution, led by Regan Walters, explained that after the initial confrontation, Edge and several other males walked the distressed victim along Strawberry Place. Video doorbell footage recorded someone in the group asking, “Where can we take him?” and instructing the boy to “stop crying”. The ordeal only ended when the victim and a supportive female entered Morriston police station and reported the incident before 5pm the same day.
Edge, whose troubled history includes multiple convictions for violent offences, was promptly taken into custody after the robbery was reported. During police questioning, he maintained his innocence, providing officers with a prepared statement denying all allegations.
The court was moved by a statement read on behalf of the victim’s grandmother. She described her grandson as an “easy target” due to his difficulties and heartfelt desire to connect with others. She recounted the impact of the assault, saying it left the teenager “humiliated and degraded” and worsened his already fragile sense of self-worth.
Defence counsel Megan Williams told the court Edge himself had spent years as a looked-after child, emphasising his own vulnerabilities. However, these mitigating circumstances offered little solace to those present, given the apparent lack of remorse shown by the defendant.
Judge Catherine Richards made clear in her summing up that Edge’s justification for his actions – a belief that the victim was in contact with younger children – did not mitigate his behaviour. She assessed that Edge posed a significant danger to the public, citing the detailed pre-sentence report and previous failed attempts to address his violent tendencies.
In delivering her sentence, Judge Richards imposed a five-year-and-two-month extended sentence. This will entail four years and two months in a young offenders’ institution and a twelve-month period on licence. Edge must serve at least two-thirds of his custodial sentence before being considered for release, with that decision resting with the Parole Board. The judge also simultaneously revoked an earlier youth referral order and replaced it with a concurrent one-month detention.
This case has reignited concerns over so-called “paedophile hunting” – a controversial practice that can result in innocent individuals being targeted and social unrest. The actions of Edge underline the dangers of vigilantism, especially from individuals with histories of violence and personal issues insufficiently addressed by authorities.
As Edge begins his lengthy custodial sentence, the Swansea community is left to reflect upon the consequences of his actions and the need for more effective structures to support, rather than further endanger, society’s most vulnerable. The victim’s family continues to seek reassurance that lessons will be learnt and that greater protection will be afforded to young people with additional needs.