A convicted sex offender’s hidden laptop and memory card containing hundreds of indecent images of children were discovered by a police sniffer dog and search officers, leading to his arrest and remand in custody.
Discovery at the Home of Joey Morgan
Police visited the home of Joey Morgan, 53, after undercover officers spotted him using a laptop in a hotel’s public area that had not been registered with authorities. A specialist digital detection dog from South Wales Police then located a covert laptop stashed beneath the kitchen counter, concealed by a removable wooden plinth. Officers also found an SD memory card hidden under the hallway carpet and a games console in the communal mailbox area.
Breach of Court Orders
Morgan was subject to indefinite notification requirements (the sex offenders register) and a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) following a 2019 conviction for making indecent images of children. The SHPO required him to notify police within three days of acquiring any device capable of internet use or data storage. The laptop, SD card, and games console had not been registered.
On July 6, 2026, undercover officers observed Morgan using a black Acer laptop in the public area of a Llandrindod Wells hotel. By July 9, the laptop remained unregistered, prompting his arrest on suspicion of breaching the SHPO.
Charges and Court Appearance
At Cardiff Magistrates Court, Morgan admitted to two counts of possessing indecent images of children, two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, and theft of the games console. The court heard he had previously breached the SHPO in 2021 while living in the Gwent area.
Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting of Dyfed-Powys Police’s offender management unit said: “There is no doubt that Joey Morgan is a dangerous individual who does not abide by the orders issued by the court and the requirements placed on him. I am grateful to the team of specialist units that worked together to bring Morgan back before the courts to sentence him for his offending. We await the result.”
Remand and Sentencing
Morgan was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court on August 7, 2026, for sentencing.
