A MAN charged with a series of sexual offences involving a 14-year-old girl has admitted them on the day he was due to stand trial.

Ethan Rich, 24, of Cwmann, appeared at Swansea Crown Court charged with 17 offences.

Rich previously pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register after staying at an address for seven or more days between May 28 and July 8 without notifying the police.

He had also admitted three breaches of a sexual harm prevention order made by Swansea Crown Court on March 9, 2020. These breaches related to Rich having two mobile phones which had not been registered with the police and using a social media account not in his own name.

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Rich was due to stand trial on a series of offences from last October relating to a 14-year-old complainant.

He was charged with possessing seven Category A – the most serious type – indecent videos of a child on October 5.

He faced five charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and five of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child – all dating from October 1 to 3. The defendant was also charged with sexual communication with a child, relating to the same girl on October 3.

The offences related to him masturbating on video calls with the girl, and encouraging her to carry out various sexual acts on the video calls.

He was also accused of a fourth breach of his sexual harm prevention order, relating to communication with an underage girl.

On the day of trial at Swansea Crown Court, Rich pleaded guilty to the remaining offences – apart from the fourth breach of the sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Hannah George said these pleas were acceptable, and that a trial wouldn’t be sought on the remaining breach.

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull KC, adjourned the case for three weeks for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

He warned Rich that all sentencing options remained open, and the defendant was remanded in to custody.