A horse-riding instructor and a showjumper, he was in a sexual relationship with, sexually abused a young girl who was under 16 years old and engaged in a “so-called threesome” with her, a court heard.
Guy Simmonds, 37, and Lauren Jarvis, 26, were both found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a child following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. Simmonds was found not guilty of five counts of the same charge.
The trial heard Simmonds had sex with the girl and his co-defendant on the same night, while Jarvis “participated willingly” in the incident, including touching the girl sexually.Wales Online reports prosecutor James Hartson said there were “clear elements of grooming” on the part of Simmonds and told jurors that during the course of the trial they would see evidence in the form of text conversations between the defendants where they were “planning” what they intended to do and then “agreeing to a pact of silence” about it.
The incident happened in January 2024 in Jarvis’ home, in the active presence of Jarvis, which Mr Hartson said the 26-year-old had participated “willingly” in.
Messages read to the jury showed Simmonds asking Jarvis when he should “pop over” for sex and Jarvis agreeing that it was “absolutely fine” with her.
In a later message Simmonds checks whether the girl is there yet. “I don’t want to turn up at the same time that her mum drops her off,” he said. In further messages Simmonds said: “Hey, I have a feeling that [name of alleged victim] has said about us. If anyone asks for sake of both of us nothing ever happened that night xx.”
Jarvis replied: “Hey, who’s she told? Oh god has she really, what’s she trying to do, make our lives hell? Of course I will xx.”
Mr Hartson told the jury that it was Simmonds’ case that there was no sexual contact between himself and the schoolgirl at any time and that the allegations she had made were malicious. He said Simmonds accepted being in a sexual relationship with Jarvis but denied any sexual contact with the complainant.
The barrister said it was Jarvis’ case that the events involving herself and the girl did not happen – despite, she alleged, the schoolgirl wanting it to happen – and the text messages on the subject exchanged between the parties were “banter” and a “wind-up”.
But a jury returned guilty verdicts in respect of both defendants in relation to one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child.
Simmonds was remanded in custody, and Jarvis was remanded on bail by Judge Lucy Crowther to appear for sentencing on September 29. She warned both defendants that “all options were open to the court”.