A depraved paedophile who deliberately sought out a vulnerable new mother on the dating app Tinder to gain access to her infant son has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Christopher Phillips, 34, was described in court as having been "actively looking for a baby" when he joined the platform.
Preying on a Mother's Trust
Swansea Crown Court heard how Phillips targeted the woman after seeing a photograph of her holding her 10-week-old baby boy. Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC detailed how Phillips "pestered and pestered" the mother to leave the child alone with him. He persistently and aggressively "demanded" to be allowed to change the baby's nappy without supervision, a request that was part of his calculated plan.
A Catalogue of Appalling Injuries
In January 2021, the infant was rushed to hospital with injuries so severe they were likened to those suffered by someone "hit by a bus." The court heard the baby boy endured a sustained and brutal assault at Phillips' hands. The injuries included severe trauma to his anus and genitals, a bleed on the brain, and multiple fractures.
A medical examination revealed the full, horrifying extent of the abuse:
- A fractured skull
- Six fractured ribs
- A fractured wrist
- A fractured ankle
Life Sentence for "Grotesque Sexual Perversion"
Judge Paul Thomas KC, passing sentence, told Phillips he had inflicted these injuries on an "utterly defenceless baby" to satisfy his "grotesque sexual perversion." The judge, with over four decades of legal experience, stated this was "the most distressing case I have ever had to deal with" and that it had "truly shaken me to my core."
Phillips was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault by penetration against the infant, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and two offences of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was cleared of two other GBH charges. The baby's mother was acquitted of all charges of allowing serious physical harm and child neglect that she faced.
Christopher Phillips was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years, but the judge warned he may never be released. In a victim impact statement, the child's grandmother said the case had "brought absolute horror and devastation to the family."
