Lover, Liar, Predator: What did Aaron Swan do and where is he now?

Warning: The following content contains discussions of sexual violence and abuse that some readers might find sensitive.

Lover, Liar, Predator is the latest BBC true crime documentary to look at the unthinkable actions of a perpetrator and their impact on innocent victims.

Following in the footsteps of the recently released The Beauty Queen and the Catflish on the channel, the one off documentary airs on February 2 at 9pm, on BBC Two.

The film shows how Jenni, Natalie, Shannon and Robyn all encountered the same man, Aaron Swan, who was on the sex offender register.

He began a series of physically and mentally abusive relationships with the women that led to pregnancies, affairs, coercion and abuse. However, his victims came together to make sure Aaron was brought to justice.

What did Aaron Swan do?

When Aaron Swan met Jenni in 2009, she was 16-years old and studying for her GCSEs. According to the BBC, Aaron was 24 and a registered sex offender at the time.

Even when Jenni's family involved the police, they weren't able to intervene to stop her moving to the Scottish Borders with Aaron. She'd given birth to their child by the time she turned 18.

Robyn was 18 when she met Aaron at work in 2019 - he was in his mid 30s at the time and still with Jenni.

Flattered by his advances, she soon found herself hanging on to any interaction from him and waiting for the next one. She refers to her feelings towards him as "complete obsession."

Natalie came into contact with Aaron in 2001 at a New Year's Eve party, when she was 17-years-old. A Christian who didn't believe in sex before marriage, Natalie recalls "feeling completely bombarded, but in a romantic way," and was pregnant by him by her 18th birthday.

Jenni knew Aaron was cheating on her and also found images depicting child abuse on devices that belonged to him. In 2010, Aaron was placed on the sex offenders register for a second time.

Jenni didn't leave Aaron, despite how he was treating her. She agreed to marry him, and asked a new friend she'd made in the town she lived with him, to be her bridesmaid. Shannon, Jenni's friend and confidante, agreed.

Shannon stayed over at Jenni's house after the couple's engagement party, and Aaron visited the room where she was sleeping and raped her.

Shannon and Jenni's friendship came to an end when Aaron told Jenni he'd slept with Shannon, without Jenni knowing the true circumstances behind the assault.

Jenni still went ahead with the wedding, and was pregnant for a second time when Aaron told her about his affair with Robyn, who was now also pregnant. Jenni ended their relationship on hearing news of the pregnancy.

Aaron demanded to see Jenni after she told him she didn't want to be with him anymore, threatening to end his life if she refused.

When they met, he made accusations against her of cheating, took her car keys and phone, and pinned her to the ground by her throat.

Feeling threatened by Aaron, Jenni let him occasionally sleep on the sofa at their home, and he spent time moving between living with her and with Robyn. He also raped both women during some visits to them.

When Jenni went to the police, they said they didn't have enough evidence to charge Aaron with rape, and he was charged with harassment.

Shannon also got in touch with Jenni around this time, and told her what really happened at the engagement party - that Aaron had raped her too.

They went to the police together, and in May 2021 Aaron was charged with raping both women.

In the meantime, Aaron's sister had encouraged Robyn to attend a 12-week domestic violence course after she was reluctant to recognise what had happened to her. His sister didn't reveal it at the time, but the course was actually run by Natalie, Aaron's first wife.

Natalie formulated the Own My Life course to help other women recognise themselves as abuse victims, after she'd been controlled by Aaron, and raped by him at the age of 21 while six months pregnant.

After Robyn found the strength to report Aaron for rape in 2022, he was later found guilty of raping Jenni, Shannon and Robyn and also convicted of domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Where is Aaron Swan now?

Aaron Swan is currently in prison. When convicted, he was ordered to serve a minimum of six years and handed an order for "lifelong restriction."

This means he will remain in prison indefinitely until he is considered safe to be let out. When he was convicted, Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, Katrina Parkes, made a statement about him.

She said, "The victims of Aaron Carson Swan’s depravity have shown great courage and resolve in coming forward and reporting him to the authorities."

“The ordeals they endured at the hands of this man have weighed heavily and will undoubtedly have a lasting impact."

“Their evidence has ensured he has been held to account for his appalling criminal behaviour and their bravery has helped protect other women from this dangerous individual."

"Swan has been brought to justice after a thorough investigation by the police and our expert prosecutors."

"I would urge anyone who has been victim of similar crime to come forward: report it and seek support. The Crown is committed to effectively prosecuting all sexual offenders."

If you have been affected by anything in this article, Rape Crisis England and Wales and Rape Crisis Scotland can offer you support.