At first, it all felt like a fantasy come true. Joanne Mjadzelics was just a music fan in Yorkshire when a friend handed her a Lostprophets CD in 2006.
She liked the sound and soon found herself leaving a message on the band’s website, hoping for tickets to a sold-out show.
She never imagined that a casual message would lead to a personal response from the band’s frontman, Ian Watkins—and the beginning of one of the darkest chapters of her life.
What began as innocent fan enthusiasm would quickly unravel into a disturbing and harrowing journey, one that would see Joanne fight for justice while being doubted, disbelieved, and even prosecuted.
From Flirty Messages to Something Far More Sinister
Watkins responded to Joanne’s fan message, asking her to connect with him on MSN, a popular messaging platform at the time.
Their chats quickly turned flirtatious.
By the time he put her on the guest list for a Leeds show, things had escalated, and she agreed to meet him at her hotel.
They slept together that night, and what followed was an off-and-on affair.
At first, Joanne thought she was just one of his many admirers.
But about 18 months in, Watkins began sharing increasingly disturbing sexual fantasies—ones involving children.
At first, she was horrified and confused. Then he began showing her illegal images.
Torn Between Horror and Responsibility
Joanne had once loved him. But now, faced with the reality of who he was, she felt she had no choice but to report him.
Her first attempt came in December 2008, when she reached out to South Wales Police.
Officers visited her in March 2009. She thought that would be the end of it. Instead, she was dismissed. They didn’t believe her.
She was devastated but didn’t give up.
She contacted multiple police departments over the years—Pontypridd, Rhondda, West Yorkshire, even Bedfordshire—but was repeatedly brushed off or threatened with harassment charges.
Fighting Alone When No One Would Listen
Watkins had manipulated her so deeply that even when she tried to pull away, he’d reel her back in.
At one point, Joanne met him again at his hotel near Leeds Festival in 2010.
That meeting confirmed everything she feared. He opened his laptop and showed her something no human should ever have to see.
She was shaking. Furious. She threw him out of the hotel room and told him to sleep on the tour bus.
But even after that horrifying moment, she still feared she couldn’t report him without being arrested herself.
She Trapped Him Because No One Else Would
When authorities continued to ignore her warnings, Joanne made a brave but terrifying decision—she would keep talking to him and collect evidence.
She even informed the Association of Chief Officers and begged for help.
She endured months of psychological torment, pretending to go along with Watkins’ twisted fantasies while using her training from past work to emotionally distance herself from the trauma.
She brought screenshots, chats, and her laptop to police multiple times.
Still, they called her a stalker. Still, they did nothing.
The Tip-Off That Changed Everything
In December 2012, a completely unrelated drug investigation led to a raid on Watkins’ home.
When police turned on his laptop, they finally saw the truth.
What Joanne had been telling them for years was real—and even worse than they imagined.
Inside the device were horrifying images, sickening messages, and evidence that matched everything Joanne had been reporting. Watkins was finally arrested.
Justice—But At What Cost?
In 2013, Ian Watkins pleaded guilty to 13 sex offenses, including the attempted rape of a baby.
He was sentenced to 29 years in prison with another six years on license.
Two women were also jailed for their roles in the abuse.
Joanne thought this would be the end of her nightmare.
For a moment, it was. Police thanked her. She felt relief—until they arrested her in 2014.
From Hero to Defendant
Joanne couldn’t believe it when police raided her home and charged her for possessing and distributing indecent images—the very material she had shown them during her investigations. Her then-17-year-old son’s computer was taken. She was thrown in a cell for 12 hours.
In January 2015, she stood trial at Cardiff Crown Court. The jury saw the truth: she was trying to stop a predator. She was fully acquitted.
Living With the Aftermath
Even though she had helped expose one of the UK’s most vile abusers, Joanne was never the same. She was diagnosed with PTSD, became agoraphobic, and struggled with self-harm. On top of everything, she still receives hate from disturbed fans who defend Watkins.
She never received an apology from South Wales Police, though Yorkshire Police did acknowledge their failings.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct later confirmed that police missed multiple chances to stop Watkins early, and had they acted on Joanne’s evidence in 2008, many children might have been saved.
Ten Years On and Still Fighting Stigma
Joanne now lives alone near Doncaster, still coping with the psychological scars of her ordeal. She looks back with anger, sorrow, and a quiet pride. She never really liked Lostprophets’ music. She just liked that one CD. She only ever saw them live once.
And yet, that chance encounter may have saved lives.
“I was never a superfan,” she says. “If just one child was saved, then it was worth the hell I’ve gone through.”