Serial sex offender locked-up for cyberflashing and assaulting teen

A serial sex offender who assaulted a teenager, and sent an explicit video to another woman, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison.

Ryan Thomas, 33, followed and kissed the 14-year-old outside her home without consent.

Thomas was found guilty of sexual assault, but while out on bail awaiting sentencing, he sent another woman a video of his genitals.

Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant told Thomas, of Abercarn, Caerphilly, his record was "appalling" and that he had an "ingrained inclination towards sexual offending".

Thomas has a string of previous convictions in the UK, Australia and Ireland.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Thomas approached the teen and her friend outside Morrison's supermarket in Caerphilly in April 2022 and offered to walk them home.

They refused, but he followed them anyway, and hugged the girl outside her home and then kissed her on the lips without her consent.

A victim impact statement from the teenager, said she remained "scared" of Thomas, and giving evidence in court made her "nervous and anxious".

After being found guilty of sexual assault, Thomas committed the second offence - often referred to as cyberflashing - in September 2025.

He sent his second victim the video, as well as other sexually explicit messages, which made her "no longer felt safe and secure".

The victim said she had "not slept through a single night" since and was "constantly looking over" her shoulder.

The judge said it was clear Thomas posed a "very high risk of harm to children and very high risk to the public".

He was sentenced to nine months for the sexual assault, and four months for exposure.

He was also handed a restraining order, and is not to contact his victims for 10 years.

Thomas is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Det Supt Michelle Chaplin, from Gwent Police, described Thomas as a dangerous sexual predator.

"Cyberflashing is a serious crime which leaves a lasting impact on victims. It is not and should not be dismissed as banter or a thoughtless joke," she said, adding that a recent inquiry suggests a "strong link between these types of offences and a potential escalation towards serious sexual/violent offences".

"Ryan Thomas is the first conviction for cyberflashing in Gwent, and I hope today's sentencing sends a clear message that cyberflashing is a serious offence and that perpetrators cannot hide behind a screen," she added.

The law was introduced under the Online Safety Act 2023, with the specific criminal provisions taking effect in England and Wales on 31 January, 2024.

It covers sending, showing, or causing someone to receive unwanted, explicit images of genitals with the intention of causing distress, alarm, or humiliation, or for sexual gratification.