Man jailed for two counts of child abduction in Port Talbot

Youngsters said to be 'distressed' but 'physically unharmed' following chilling incident in a park

Author: Gavin RutterPublished 26th Oct 2023

A man has been jailed for four years for the abduction of two children in a park in Port Talbot.

The 10 and 11-year-olds were described as 'distressed' but 'physically unharmed' following the incident in the Baglan area of the town last year.

Police were first called to a report of an attempted abduction of two children at around 5.05pm on Monday, November 21st.

Aaron Madden, 37, had offered the youngsters £20 to get him lost in the park, before staying with them for some time.

He continued speaking with the children as they tried to walk away from him, then placed his arms around their shoulders, appearing to usher them to walk with him.

The children saw a family friend and were able to tell her what happened. Both children were returned home safely.

Madden was found by police a short time later and arrested.

Detective Sergeant Kristian Burt said: "Both children were understandably distressed at what happened but otherwise physically unharmed. Thankfully neither of the children were persuaded to go with Aaron Madden.

“However, I fully understand the concerns of parents and guardians in light of this incident, and I would like to reassure the public that child abductions are, thankfully, incredibly rare.”

Madden was sentenced to four years in prison for two counts of child abduction.

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