Ian Watkins, 36, pleaded guilty to 13 counts relating to
child abuse at Cardiff Crown Court in Wales last month.
Two mothers of children he abused, who admitted child abuse
charges, were sentenced to 14 and 17 years.
Before sentencing Watkins, Judge John Royce told him: "You are a
deeply corrupting influence, you are highly manipulative, you
are a sexual predator."
"The public and in particular young females and children need
protection from you," Royce said.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle, senior investigating
officer for South Wales Police, said the investigation into
Watkins "uncovered the most disturbing child abuse evidence I
have seen in my 28 years as a police officer".
Police believe they have not tracked down all of Watkins'
victims and are conducting further investigations, with help
from forces across Britain, international police organization
Interpol and the U.S. Department for Homeland Security.
British detectives have already traveled to the United States
and to Germany, where Lostprophets toured on several occasions.
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The Welsh group, which has sold more than 3 million records
worldwide, broke up in October after Watkins was charged.
His former bandmates have said they are "heartbroken, angry and
disgusted" at revelations that Watkins had abused children.
Watkins admitted two attempted rapes, sexually assaulting a
child under 13, aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a
child under 13, conspiring to rape a child under 13 and
conspiring to sexually assault another child under 13, a
spokeswoman for the Cardiff court said.
He also pleaded guilty to six counts of taking and possessing
indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme
pornographic images, the spokeswoman said.
The two women sentenced on Wednesday sexually abused their
children when asked by Watkins and were prepared to make their
children available to him for sex, the court heard.
(Reporting by Alexander Winning;
editing by Alison Williams)
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