IPSO, the independent press regulator, has rejected a complain brought by a convicted sex offender who claimed that the Cambrian News breached his right to privacy by publishing his full address in the newspaper and online.

Elisha Chikwezvero, an Aberystwyth University student who downloaded child sexual abuse and bestiality photos and videos from the dark web avoided a prison sentence when he appeared before Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, 17 Sept.

Cambrian News published his full address as 4 Loveland Road, Aberystwyth in providing details of how the 22-year-old pleaded guilty to making a total of 79 indecent images of children in Aberystwyth between 6 September 2022 and 18 December 2024, including 45 of the most serious category A.

Chikwezvero also pleaded guilty to possession of 36 extreme pornographic images of animals and possession of a prohibited image of a child, both in Aberystwyth on 17 December 2024.

The convicted sex offender complained to IPSO claiming that his right to privacy was breached.

The Editor’s Code “specifically recognises a person’s entitlement to respect for their private and family life and their home,” the sex offender wrote. “In this case, the address identifies a currently occupied student residence shared by several joint tenants. The privacy interest is therefore not limited to me as the person named in the proceedings. The publication has also identified the home of other students who are entirely separate from the case, those who did not choose to have their accommodation associated with it.

He said the circumstances have become particularly concerning because the address is now circulating beyond the original reporting. “One of the joint tenants, despite the reduced contact between us, broke that silence to raise the issue with me because of the concern it was causing within the property,” he complained. “I consider that significant because these are people who have been unwillingly drawn into the practical consequences of the publication, despite having no part in the events that led to my proceedings. They are continuing their education and have a full academic year ahead of them at this accommodation.”

IPSO ruled in favour of the Cambrian News, saying “that in accordance with the principle of open justice, newspapers are generally entitled to report information that has been disclosed in open court and is not subject to a reporting restriction.

“A defendant’s address would typically be given in court, and we noted that publication of a street address helps to accurately identify defendants. In these circumstances, we did not consider there were grounds for finding that publication of your address, represented an intrusion into your private life,” it told the complainant.

Cambrian News Editor Mick O’Reilly said that any reader was entitled to take their concerns to the independent press regulator.

“In this instance, it’s a bit rich for this sex offender, who trolled the dark web for sick and disgusting images, to say his privacy rights were breached,” Mr O’Reilly said. “What about the privacy of his victims... though I doubt that applies to bestiality images.”