A LLANDRINDOD Wells man has been jailed for almost two years for after being found to have filmed intimate images of two schoolgirls without their knowledge.

Silviu Sigheti, 43, was found to have as many as 1,500 images on his phone in total, and when confronted claimed to have been "curious". He was jailed for 22 months in total at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday

The court heard he was found to have images of two separate girls, dating as far back as January 2015.

Romanian Sigheti, of Dolydd Pentrosfa, Llandrindod, admitted four charges in total in November last year – two of voyeurism and two of making indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Megan Jones said Dyfed Powys Police were called amid claims he was a paedophile and had images on his phone. Reports of a sexual assault against the first victim, who was of primary school age, were not substantiated, but he was found to have taken intimate images of her.

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Ms Jones said another victim was identified, with images taken over a number of years and seeming to capture her at various stages of her childhood, from the ages of around four to six and 14 to 16. She said police had tried to identify the child without success.

Stephen Thomas, representing Sigheti, described his client as a man of previous good character.

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“He has always been realistic about the situation,” said Mr Thomas.

“He entered early guilty pleas. He has no previous convictions, either in the UK or Romania.

“He accepts full responsibility.”

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull, told Sigheti: “This offending took place over a long period, perhaps as much as seven years.

“Your filming of children began in 2015 and only ended in 2022 when you were caught out. At least two children were involved. They were unaware of what you were doing.

“Your offending involved a significant degree of planning and, had you not been stopped, your offending might well have reached a higher level.”

For both counts of making indecent images, Sigheti was jailed for 14 months. He was jailed for a further eight months for each offence of voyeurism, but these two sentences were handed down concurrently, with eight months to be served consecutively to the 14 months – making a total custodial period of 22 months.

Recorder Bull also said he would be made subject to both a sexual harm prevention order and have to sign the sex offender’s register for a period of 10 years. He also issued a 10-year restraining order.