Ian Watkins rose to fame as a Welsh singer, though his reputation became disgraced when he was convicted on child sex offender charges. After he was killed during a prison attack in the U.K. in October 2025, Life & Style is breaking down who Watkins was, what crimes he committed and how he died.
Who Was Ian Watkins?
Watkins was the lead singer and frontman of the rock band Lostprophets from 1997 to 2012.
The band released five studio albums together, beginning with their debut album, The Fake Sound of Progress, in 2000. They went on to release Start Something in 2004, Liberation Transmission in 2006, The Betrayed in 2010 and Weapons 2012.
Watkins was arrested on child sex offender charges in 2012, which led the band to ultimately break up.
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In addition to Watkins, the band consisted of Lee Gaze, Mike Chiplin, Mike Lewis, Stuart Richardson, DJ Stepzak, Jamie Oliver, Ilan Rubin and Luke Johnson.
Ian Watkins Was a Convicted Sex Offender
After he was arrested in 2012, Watkins pleaded guilty to 13 charges in 2013 including trying to rape a baby, sexually touching a 1-year-old, encouraging a fan to abuse her child and making child pornography, according to CBS News.
During his sentencing, Judge John Royce called Watkins a manipulative and dangerous sexual predator and accused him of abusing his fame for his “insatiable lust.”
“Those who have appeared in these courts over many years see a large number of horrific cases,” Royce said during the sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, per CBS News. “This case, however, breaks new ground.’”
He ultimately received a 29-year sentence, according to BBC.
Ian Watkins Was Killed During a Prison Attack
Watkins died at the age of 48 when he was attacked by two men at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire on the morning of October 11, 2025, according to CBS News.
West Yorkshire Police said in a statement that two men, Rashid Gedel and Samuel Dodsworth, were arrested in the murder of Watkins.
Both Gedel, 25, and Dodsworth, 43, appeared separately in consecutive hearings at the court, where they spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth, according to BBC News.
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The outlet reported that a Prison Service spokesperson said it was aware of an incident, though they were “unable to comment further while the police investigate.”
The fatal attack took place two years after Watkins was attacked at Wakefield Prison in 2023. However, BBC News reported that his injuries in the 2023 attack were not life-threatening.
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