Ian Watkins, former Lostprophets singer, killed in prison attack
FILE - Ian Watkins of Lostprophets performing at the 2012 Heineken Jammin Festival on July 6, 2012 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/WireImage)
Ian Watkins, the former Lostprophets singer who was serving a prison sentence in northern England for child sex offenses, was killed in an attack, West Yorkshire Police said.
Ian Watkins Lostprophets singer
The backstory:
Watkins was the lead singer for Lostprophets, a Welsh rock band that formed in 1997 and topped the U.K. charts in 2006 with its third album, "Liberation Transmission."
The band announced it was disbanding in 2013 after Watkins’ arrest.
Ian Watkins crimes
Timeline:
Watkins was arrested for drug offenses in 2012, and police found evidence of abuse on his computers.
In 2013, Watkins pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including trying to rape a baby, sexually touching a 1-year-old, encouraging a fan to abuse her child and making child pornography.
He’s been serving a 29-year sentence.
What they're saying:
At the time of his sentencing, Judge John Royce called Watkins a manipulative and dangerous sexual predator who had abused his fame to help satisfy his "insatiable lust."
"Those who have appeared in these courts over many years see a large number of horrific cases," Royce said in sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court. "This case, however, breaks new ground.''
Dig deeper:
At the time, the South Wales Police were highly criticized for allegedly missing chances to stop the rock star in the years before he was eventually arrested and charged. They received reports of his behavior from an ex-girlfriend and other witnesses between 2008-2012.
Attacked in prison
What happened:
British police said Sunday that Watkins, who was 48, was stabbed to death at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire on Saturday morning.
He was attacked with a knife and pronounced dead at the scene.
A murder investigation is underway following the arrests of two men, aged 25 and 43, West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from West Yorkshire Police, as reported by The Associated Press. Background information was also taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.