South Wales Evening Post has apologised after it incorrectly identified a young man as having admitted engaging in sexual activity with two young girls.
The Northcliffe Media-owned regional newspaper published a photograph of Robert William Stevens on Friday wrongly identifying him as Robert Edward Stevens, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the offence.
The newspaper published a front page apology to Robert William Stevens the following day after its attention had been drawn to the mistake.
The apology stated: “In the Evening Post on April 23 we published a photograph that we said was of Robert Edward Stevens of Ffordd Ger-y-Llwyn at Tircoed Forest Village, who had pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with two young girls.
“In fact, the photograph was of an innocent man – Robert William Stevens, who has no connection with the defendant and was not involved in the court case in any way.
“We wish to make it absolutely clear that Robert William Stevens is not the man who pleaded guilty to these offences.
“We offer our unreserved apologies to Robert William Stevens for our error and are pleased to have this opportunity to publish this correction and apology to him and his family.”
Evening Post editor-in-chief Spencer Feeney told Press Gazette the matter was now in the hands of the paper’s lawyers and it would not be appropriate for him to comment.
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