A male swimmer that was hoping to compete at the upcoming 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo was convicted of child rape in July.
Tom Piggott, a 21-year-old from Welshpool, Wales, was found guilty of two counts of raping a child, three counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of inciting a child to take part in a sexual act, and three counts of making indecent images of children, according to multiple media reports.
According to local outlet MyWelshpool, it took a jury “less than 30 minutes” to find Piggott guilty of “serious sexual offenses, against children, including rape.”
After denying the allegations, Piggott’s defence was not believed by jurors, who returned a guilty verdict on all 10 counts. The trial lasted five days at Mold Crown Court in the Welsh city of Mold.
Piggott, reportedly a swim coach along with being a competitive para-swimmer, is expected to face a lengthy sentence behind bars.
He competed in the S10, SB9 and SM10 classes and formerly trained with the Oswestry Otters and attended Swansea University.
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“This investigation has been a massive undertaking for all involved,” said DC Steve Williams of the Dyfed-Powys Police, per MyWelshpool. “From the investigating team, to the digital media investigators, it has been an incredible amount of work, but we’re satisfied it has been worth the effort to get justice for these young victims.
“None of this would have been possible without their strength and bravery in coming forward. It is their willingness to tell the truth about what Piggott did to them that has meant he has been convicted.”
In addition to the 10 counts, Piggott was also convicted of possessing 141 videos, 58 of which are in the most serious category, and 29 indecent images, six of which are in the most serious category, found on electronic devices seized from his home.
“Piggott showed incredible arrogance in trying to lie his way out of the situation he found himself in as a result of his terrible actions,” added Williams. “But the evidence proved too strong.”
Piggott will be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on September 13.