An investigation has been launched by the police watchdog following concern that three forces failed to respond quickly enough to allegations made against paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.
The 36-year-old is beginning a 35-year jail sentence after a judge said the offences "plumbed new depths of depravity". Watkins was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on 13 offences, including the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby boy and the abuse of a baby girl. Watkins used his fame and power over female fans to persuade them to cooperate in the abuse of their own children.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it would look into concerns that police in South Wales, South Yorkshire and Bedfordshire had not responded appropriately to previous allegations. The IPCC said it was aware of reports made to the police up to three years before Watkins' arrest in 2012 and would be seeking to establish if his celebrity status had any impact. Police said they were working with detectives in the US and Germany to see if he carried out crimes while touring there.
