Ex-Pembrokeshire councillor banned for illegal porn smear

An ex-councillor who falsely accused a colleague of sharing illegal pornography and suggested a member of the public was a sex offender has been banned from office for three years.

The Adjudication Panel for Wales (APW) found Paul Dowson brought Pembrokeshire County Council into disrepute.

Mr Dowson also wrongly accused another person online of being a violent convicted criminal.

The decision means Mr Dowson cannot stand for election until 2025.

The ruling covers every local authority in Wales.

He was previously censured by the council's Standards Committee in June for sharing material that was "likely to be considered racist".

At the time, Mr Dowson denied posting the content and said he was not racist.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, investigated three separate complaints regarding his conduct.

"These were all extremely serious complaints," said Ms Morris.

"The false allegations and statements made by former councillor Dowson were potentially harmful and reputationally damaging to the individuals concerned and to the council.

"This is the second outcome of a hearing into the conduct of former councillor Dowson in as many months.

"The decision to disqualify the member from holding office for three years reflects the seriousness of his conduct."

Mr Dowson is no longer a councillor, after being voted out at last year's local elections.

The APW found Mr Dowson, who previously represented UKIP before sitting as an independent, had also deliberately attempted to mislead the Ombudsman by providing a fake social media post as evidence.

It said elements of his behaviour amounted to harassment and bullying.