A 44-year-old man from North Carolina, United States, has been sentenced to over seven years in prison after travelling to Wales with the intention of marrying a teenage girl he had groomed online.
Jacob Ewing, from Hubert, North Carolina, was arrested at Cardiff Airport after arriving in the UK to meet the girl from Gwent.
He brought wedding rings with him and carried disturbing material, including child abuse images, one of which depicted a baby being raped.
Authorities also found a knife and a wooden club in his possession.
Ewing was jailed for seven years and eight months at Newport Crown Court on multiple charges, including 13 offences relating to child sexual exploitation, such as causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
The Home Office may consider deporting him during or after his prison term.
The court heard that Ewing met the girl online and initially claimed to be a “paedophile hunter” and a Christian.
He gained the teenager’s trust by persuading her to engage in degrading acts while he watched and performed sex acts on himself during live online calls. On one occasion, he reportedly watched her sleep and later admitted to masturbating during that time.
Although disturbed by his behavior, the girl continued to communicate with him. Over time, Ewing reportedly became controlling—oscillating between kindness and cruelty—and began to dictate aspects of her life, even instructing her not to sleep fully covered, despite the cold.
The girl’s parents were initially unaware of the relationship and believed she was speaking to someone her own age. At one point, she noticed Ewing had tattooed her initials on his chest, further alarming her.
The court was told that Ewing had exposed himself and performed sexual acts in front of the girl online more than 20 times. He expressed intentions to move to the UK once she turned 16 so they could marry and have children.
Authorities were tipped off by American officials, prompting UK police to intervene and notify the girl’s family. When arrested at Cardiff Airport, Ewing was found with the aforementioned weapons, prompting fears about what he might have intended to do.
Judge Celia Hughes, who presided over the case, said the impact on the victim and her family had been devastating.
She also criticized Ewing for showing no remorse, saying, “You have portrayed yourself as the victim and haven’t taken responsibility for your actions. Fortunately, you were stopped at the airport.”
Ewing reportedly told probation officers that he had permission from the girl’s mother.
