Lostprophets' Ian Watkins 'May Have Hundreds of Child Sex Victims'

Disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins may have abused "hundreds" of young children down the years but is being protected by the band's fans, a former girlfriend warned.

Joanna Majic, 38, who ended her relationship with Watkins after she became aware of his fantasies about raping babies, spoke about how she felt "devastated" it took so long for Watkins to be convicted of child sex offences.

Majic also said she first warned police about Watkins as far back as 2008, but her claims were not fully investigated.

Majic told Real Radio: "I don't feel happy about [the outcome]. I don't feel vindicated. I'm just devastated that it took so long.

"I've always said to the police, there's hundreds of victims out there and you're never going to find them because the mothers are in on it."

Watkins pleaded guilty to 11 sex offences at Cardiff Crown Court, including attempting to rape a baby.

Majic said the frontman would target those he referred to as "superfans" who were willing to let their own children be abused by him.

The court heard how Watkins recorded his attempt to rape an 11-month-old baby at a hotel along with the child's mother in Shepherds Bush in April 2012.

Police also found video footage of Watkins encouraging one of the women to abuse her child during a Skype conversation.

Watkins even sent a text to one of his co-accused saying: "If you belong to me, so does your baby."

Majic now fears there are more potential victims who Watkins abused with the aide of their mothers.

She told the Daily Mirror: "He targeted them deliberately because they were easy prey to him.

"Somehow, I have no idea how, he managed to persuade them to let them offer up their own kids to be abused.

"He sucked them in with his charm like he did all the girls, but by 2012 I knew he was out of control.

"His arrest was four years too late for me. I wonder how many other victims there are out there because from what I knew of Ian Watkins, I'd be shocked if he only tried this with two women."

Police are now urging any more potential victims to come forward. The IPCC are also investigating whether South Wales Police acted quickly enough to prosecute Watkins in response to the claims they received an allegation about him in 2008.

Det chief insp Peter Doyle, of South Wales Police, described the investigation as the "most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I've ever seen".

He added: "There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his celebrity status in order to abuse young children."

Watkins and his two female accomplices are due to be sentenced on 18 December.

Read: Lostprophets' Ian Watkins: From Rock Hero to Paedophile Monster