Pictures of convicted paedophile Ian Watkins cuddling and visiting sick children in hospital have emerged.
Watkins, who pleaded guilty to a series of “depraved” child sex offences including admitting to two charges of attempting to rape a baby, acted as an unofficial ambassador to the Kidney Wales Foundation back in 2008.
Pictures of him visiting a ward at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff in October 2008 show him poking out his tongue, hugging children and signing T-shirts.
Ian Watkin signs a child's t-shirt during a visit to the Children's Centre at University Hospital of Wales in 2008
The images have drawn similarities between Watkins’s behaviour and that of the late Jimmy Savile, a prolific paedophile who often visited children’s hospitals.
In fact, it was Watkins’s own stepfather who expressed fears his son would be compared to Savile.
Expressing disbelief and shock, the church minister John Davies told the Daily Mail: “This is so hard. It’s overwhelming. It’s the first thing a parent asks themselves – where did we go wrong? What happened?
Watkins became known to the charity after his mother had a kidney transplant
“I don’t know how this will turn out. I don’t know whether he will be remembered for years to come as somebody infamous and evil – like a sort of Jimmy Savile character. I hope not.”
Of the association, a spokesman for Kidney Wales Foundation said: “The charity is appalled and stunned at the events involving Ian Watkins.”
The statement adds it had not been in touch with Watkins for over five years and was introduced to him after his mother Elaine had a kidney transplant in 2008.
Watkins talks to a parent and his sick toddler at the hospital
You can read the full statement at the South Wales Evening Post.
The pictures have emerged as a former girlfriend of the singer claimed she warned police Watkins has expressed desires to abuse children that very same year the photographs were taken.
Joanna Majic told the Daily Mirror she had an on-off relationship with Watkins from 2006 but: “Everything changed for us when he confided in me that he wanted to abuse children in 2008.”
The 38-year-old added: “I went straight to South Wales police then and made a complaint but they ignored me and said I needed evidence.”
The charity Kidney Wales Foundation says it has not had any contact with Watkins since December 2008
As questions are raised as to whether South Wales Police acted quickly enough in investigating Watkins, a spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed to HuffPost UK it is investigating the matter.
The former lead singer made a series of admissions in a last-minute change of plea ahead of what would have been the launch of his trial on Tuesday.
Sensationally, he pleaded guilty to a string of sex offences he had previously "furiously denied," but claimed he could not remember the horrific abuse because he was high on crystal meth.
Watkins originally faced 24 separate charges - all sex offence related – dated from 2007. He will be sentenced on 18 December.
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Watkins will be sentenced on 18 December