Lostprophets' Ian Watkins submits jail sentence appeal

The BBC reports that Lostprophets' former frontman Ian Watkins is to have his application to appeal the length of his sentence considered by a court. The Welsh singer was jailed in December for 29 years for a string of serious child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

Three court judges in Cardiff will consider the application, along with the application made by a the mother of the baby girl Watkins abused, who was jailed with him and is seeking a reduction in her 17-year sentence. Watkins pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal. He pleaded not guilty to rape.

Watkins was sentenced along with the mothers of two women of the children he abused, whose names withheld were jailed for 14 and 17 years respectively. In May this year the Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an inquiry into whether the celebrity status of the singer delayed him being brought to justice. Gross misconduct notices have already been served on seven police officers from three different forces as part of an investigation.