Ben Thomas: Ex-BBC presenter abused victims as they slept

Thomas's crimes took place between 1990 and last year

A former BBC presenter and church preacher sexually abused his victims as they slept, and most had no idea they had been attacked, a court heard.

Ben Thomas, 44, of Coed Onn Road, Flint, previously admitted 40 offences against adults and children.

On Tuesday, Mold Crown Court heard statements from Thomas's victims.

Thomas, who had worked as a reporter and presenter for BBC Wales until 2005, wished to express "his remorse, regret and sorrow", his defence counsel said.

Thomas's crimes took place in north Wales, Shropshire, London, and Romania between 1990 and last year.

Thomas had worked for Ffeil, a BBC Welsh language news programme for young people

The former Wales Today and Ffeil journalist confessed to 40 offences against 33 male victims aged between 11 and 34.

Police have not been able to trace all of the victims Thomas had confessed to abusing, the court heard on Tuesday.

In July, Thomas admitted 10 counts of sexual activity with a child, eight sexual assaults, and four attempts to commit sexual assault.

He also pleaded guilty to nine indecent assaults, seven counts of voyeurism and two counts of making indecent videos of children.

The court heard some attacks took place at Thomas's home in Criccieth, Gwynedd, when people were staying, while others took place at conferences and church camps.

Thomas became a church pastor in 2005

Some victims had woken to find Thomas by their bed, but he had claimed to be sleep-walking.

"To think that this happened when I was asleep... somewhere I was meant to be safe... his face won't leave my thoughts," one victim told the court in a statement.

He said he had felt "anger, hurt, disgust, let down and violated".

Another victim said Thomas, who has a wife and children, had "tainted memories I had of the camps that my parents had sent me on as a teenager," but added he had forgiven him.

But another of his victims said he was "disgusted by the duality of Ben's existence" as an "earnest" preacher while repeatedly committing acts of abuse.

"The vast majority" of Thomas's victims "had no idea he had sexually assaulted them", court hears

Simon Rogers, prosecuting, said a man had believed "dark spirits" were abusing him when Thomas had in fact molested him during the night.

The victim had described waking up "extremely frightened" as his bed was shaking, only to find Thomas "slumped between the beds and looking flustered".

"The vast majority of his victims had no idea he had sexually assaulted them," Mr Rogers added.

The court heard Thomas also filmed his victims, once hiding his phone in a washbag at an outdoor centre to film boys going to the toilet or showering.

He had left the BBC to preach in London before becoming pastor at Criccieth Family Church in Gwynedd in 2008.

The church has previously expressed its "complete shock" at Thomas's arrest, and said his victims were "foremost in our prayers".

Rachel Shenton, defending Thomas, said he did not wish to put forward "any excuse whatsoever for his conduct".

She said Thomas's offences were "something of an addiction, which he couldn't stop himself from doing".

He had justified it to himself as something that "was causing no harm", Ms Shenton added, but at the same time he was behaving in a way that was "abhorrent" to him.

Thomas will be sentenced on Friday.