A 44 year old from North Carolina has been jailed after flying to Wales to marry a teenager he was grooming online. Jacob Ewing of Wildcat Pound Road, Hubert, NC, has been jailed for more than seven years and could face deportation on his release.
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00:00A man from the United States has been jailed for grooming a teenage girl from Wales and
00:08travel into the UK with the intention of meeting her and marrying her. 44-year-old Jacob Ewing
00:13of Wildcat Pound Road in Hubert, North Carolina, was sentenced to seven years and eight months
00:18in prison at Newport Crown Court after admitting to a series of offences, including causing
00:22or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The court heard that Ewing met the girl, who
00:28cannot be named for legal reasons, on a random video chat website where he began communicating
00:34with her regularly and over time gained control over her behaviour online. He told the girl he was
00:40a Christian and claimed to be a so-called paedophile hunter, but went on to manipulate her over a period
00:46of months. In March last year, as the girl approached her 16th birthday, Ewing travelled to Wales with
00:51wedding rings and plans to marry her. He was arrested at Cardiff airport after a tip-off from
00:57American authorities. In his luggage, officers found a knife, a wooden cosh, and a number of
01:02indecent images, some of which were described in court as highly disturbing. The court was told Ewing
01:08had a significant level of control over the girl's life and behaviour, leaving her distressed and
01:13struggling with her mental health. Judge Celia Hughes said the teenager and her family had been left
01:18devastated by the defendant's actions and that his behaviour had caused significant emotional harm.
01:23Ewing pleaded guilty to 13 offences and may face deportation once his sentence is complete.
01:31Gwent Police praised the bravery of the victim and thanked international partners for helping
01:36intercept Ewing before he could cause further harm. Gwent Police Watkins, reporter for Local TV,
01:40Newport Crown Court.
01:41Gwent Police
01:42Gwent Police
01:43Gwent Police