Serving a 35-year sentence for child sex offenses at HM Prison Wakefield, Ian Watkins is expected to stand trial over accusation that he has a cell in his cell between 4 and 10 March 2018.
- March 13, 2019
AceShowbiz - Convicted paedophile Ian Watkins pleaded not guilty to possessing a mobile phone in prison during a court appearance on Tuesday, March 12.
The former Lostprophets singer, who is currently serving a 35-year sentence for a string of child sex offences, appeared in Leeds Crown Court in Yorkshire, England via video link to face a charge of unauthorised possession of a mobile phone.
He is accused of having the device in his cell at HM Prison Wakefield, a maximum security jail, between 4 and 10 March 2018.
Watkins, 41, spoke only to confirm his name and enter the not guilty plea during the brief hearing and was returned to custody afterwards.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, prosecutor Stephen Wood told the court: "The jury will have to know about his previous convictions."
"The issue here is that he was in possession of a mobile phone in his cell," he added. "I'm not going into specific details about what was found on that phone."
He will stand trial on the charge on 5 August.
The Welsh rocker pleaded guilty to 13 child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby and taking, making or possessing indecent images of children, in 2013 and was sentenced to 29 years in prison with a further six years on licence.
