After an attack while serving a 29-year sentence for a string of serious child sex offenses, the disgraced former frontman of the rock band Lostprophets, Ian Watkins died in HMP Wakefield prison.
On Saturday morning (10.11,) following reports of a serious assault, West Yorkshire Police confirmed that the 48-year-old pedophile singer was pronounced dead at the scene. Two men, aged 25 and 43, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder.
Originally from Pontypridd, England, Watkins was jailed in December of 2013 after admitting to multiple offenses, including the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child and conspiring to rape a child. His two co-defendants, the mothers of the children he abused, received lengthy sentences as well, and during the ruling the judge described the case as plunging into “new depths of depravity” and noted Watkins’ “complete lack of remorse.” Emphasizing that the case was ultimately about the child victims, the NSPCC previously commented that Watkins “used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and sexually abuse children.”
The attack and subsequent death of the former musician comes shortly after a report by the chief inspector of prisons found that violence had “increased markedly” at HMP Wakefield, noting that older prisoners, particularly those convicted of sexual offenses, felt increasing unsafe due to a growing presence of younger prisoners. Though his injuries at that time were not life-threatening, Watkins had previously been attacked in August of 2023.
Prior to his 2012 arrest, Watkins played to massive arena crowds and sold millions of records globally with Lostprophets, a band that achieved both UK and US chart success.
The Prison Service is cooperating fully with the ongoing police investigation.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Danny Lechanteur