Search results for Wrexham

Description

A WREXHAM man said there could be 'no excuse' for his 'abhorrent behaviour' as he was jailed for committing a string of sexual offences against a teenager.

Andrew Bell, 60, whose registered addresses are both the Blue Bell Inn and Plas Issa in Penycae, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, October 16, via videolink from HMP Berwyn.

He previously, when re-arraigned on the day a trial date was set, pleaded guilty to two out of nine counts of sexual assault on a male, having initially pleaded not guilty.

Simon Rogers, prosecuting, told the court that offences took place between 2013 and 2015, when Bell had befriended a then teenage boy.

Offences took place in both the UK and abroad, the court heard.

Bell and the complainant had been travelling in a van and had pulled over 'in the middle of nowhere' to sleep for the night.

Bell opened a bottle of wine which they both drank together.

Later on that night, the complainant fell asleep in his sleeping bag but was awoken when he 'felt a hand down his pants' and Bell carried out what was his first assault.

Mr Rogers said the complainant said he 'froze' during the incident and said he felt 'isolated' and 'scared'.

The court heard there were 'many incidents' carried out in this way by Bell in 'various vehicles and locations' during the course of two years of offending.

It happened 'almost every time they had a drink', Mr Rogers added, with the complainant adding that Bell was the 'nicest man in the world' otherwise when sober.

On another occasion, the complainant went to sleep on a sofa. Later that night, Bell went into the room and knelt down by the complainant, before 'touching' him under the covers.

Bell was arrested and gave a 'no comment' interview in June 2020.

The court heard that he had previously been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the sexual abuse of children, aged between 9 and 16 years old, in 2002.

The complainant was in court to read out a victim personal statement as Bell was sentenced.

He told the court that the incidents had left him feeling 'ashamed and embarrassed' and had 'hugely affected' his parents.

The statement added: "Someone I thought I could trust betrayed me in the worst possible way."

Bell was also given the opportunity to read out a letter via the videolink in court.

He said: "There can be no excuse for my abhorrent behaviour. "

Bell added that the complainant 'never encouraged' his behaviour and apologised for the 'damage', 'anguish' and 'emotional turmoil' he had caused.

Jane Greenhalgh defending said: "The other side to him is the kind man that is liked by many people."

Recorder Simon Mills said Bell was 'clearly capable of changing in a predatory way' when his 'inhibitions had been lowered by drink'.

Bell was sentenced to eight years in jail and was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Recorder Mills stated that, should Bell offend again in future, then a life sentence could be imposed.

Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Chris Hargrave of the North Wales Amethyst Team said: “The victim in this case has been incredibly brave in reporting these matters to us.

“His determination to ensure that the offender was correctly brought to justice was motivated by a desire to ensure others are not placed at further risk of abuse.

“No sentence can ever undo the harm caused, but I hope this sentence today brings some measure of justice and healing to the victim.

“We continue to be committed to bringing perpetrators of sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us”.

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A 31-year-old man has been jailed for sexual offences.

Sam Sherman Davies, of NFA, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court today, Monday September 11th, after pleading guilty to rape and controlling and coercive behaviour.

He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. He was also issued with a restraining order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Delyth Shakespeare said: “The length of his sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact it has had on the victim.

“I commend the bravery of the victim who has shown remarkable courage throughout the investigation, and I hope that she can find closure and comfort in knowing that justice has been served today.

“We remain committed to bringing perpetrator of sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us.”

Description

A serial paedophile breached a court order which prevented him from deleting his internet history. Stephen Harris, 47, of Wrexham, has repeatedly been caught in possession of images of child abuse.

After breaching his court order, he tried to lie to police by claiming he had unintentionally deleted internet history when he removed a storage card. Harris has numerous convictions for possession and distributing indecent images of children dating back as far as 2007 for which he was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

He was convicted of similar offences in 2011, 2015, and 2017. He also breached a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) he was made subject to in 2020, 2021, and 2022, reports WalesOnline.

A sentencing hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday heard a police officer initially attended the defendant's home in Market Street, Rhosllanerchrugog, on May 17, to check a Nokia phone in his possession. The phone was shown to retain internet history and there were a number of text messages on the device.

But when the officer returned for an unannounced visit on June 28 she noticed the same phone only contained two messages and there was no internet history. Prosecutor Karl Scholz said when Harris was queried about this he claimed he "always" deleted his text messages and there was no internet history on the device.

The officer knew this to be a lie due to her previous analysis of the phone. The defendant was arrested and told police he unintentionally deleted the internet history by removing a storage card from his phone which he used to download music.

When asked why he didn't tell the officer about this he said: "I just carried on." Harris later pleaded guilty to breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard he had a total of eight convictions and as a result of the current offence he is in breach of a suspended sentence of eight weeks. In mitigation Henry Hills said there was a "technical issue" with his client's phone and while the deletion of internet history was not deliberate he should have reported it to the police.

He said the defendant lived with his 84-year-old mother who has mobility issues. Sentencing, Recorder Greg Bull KC said: "You have an appalling record of previous offending in relation to the possession of indecent photographs of children.

"You have served sentences of imprisonment in the past and made subject to various court orders including a SHPO – one which was imposed relatively recently. You were made subject to a suspended sentence of imprisonment for breaching the SHPO.

"This offence was committed just a few months after that suspended sentence was imposed and you know the court regards breaches of these orders as a serious offence that cannot be overlooked. This shows an inability by you to stray from looking at disgusting photographs of children and children must be protected."

Harris was sentenced to a total of 18 months imprisonment. He was made subject to another sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A drag queen who was set to host a Welsh communitys first-ever gay pride parade has been arrested after being caught in a sting by predator hunters. Andrew James Bryant, also known as Miss Gin, was arrested on July 3.

Bryants arrest was first announced by STOP Stings in collaboration with the Lincolnshire-based Guardian Angels, both of which are community predator hunting groups carrying out volunteer child safeguarding activities. Bryant, who also goes by the name Andrew James Way, is alleged to have attempted to groom a decoy posing as a 14-year-old boy.

The sting targeting Bryant was streamed live to Facebook on July 3, with multiple predator hunters confronting the man in a public parking lot.

Ive got in my possession a chat log that is disgusting. It is very, very consistent with somebody who is a very proficient groomer, and is grooming somebody who he believes to be a 14-year-old boy, one of the predator hunters says to Bryant, who is casually smoking a cigarette throughout the interaction.

Bryant initially attempts to deny the claims, stating that he believed the decoy account belonged to someone of legal age. But the predator hunter immediately pushes back, advising Bryant he has written proof of the decoy advising Bryant he was underage.

That is an abject lie, isnt it, the predator hunter says, with Bryant finally conceding after some discussion.

Perhaps most disturbingly, the predator hunters reveal that the decoy account has been posing as a mentally vulnerable child who was unsure about his sexuality, something Bryant appears to have used as leverage.

Do you know what chilled me about this particular chat log, the predator hunter asks. This lad youve been speaking to doesnt know if hes gay or not, does he? You are forcing yourself on him.

Bryant shrugs off the revelation by attempting to apologize.

Your apology means absolutely nothing to me. You have been speaking to what you believe to be a child online, and you were telling this 14-year-old boy that you want to break him in.'

Bryant requested lewd photos from the boy, and reportedly tried to make the child more comfortable by telling him that other minors had already sent him photos. The predator hunters were unable to determine if that was a grooming tactic, or if Bryant really had received other photos from children unrelated to the sting.

In addition to requesting lewd images from the boy, Bryant also reportedly asked to meet the child in a hotel for sex and gave him instructions to state he was Bryants nephew if questioned.

The sting live-stream ended with police arriving. The predator hunters announced shortly after that Bryant had been arrested and charged.

During the interaction with predator hunters, Bryant called himself a drag artist and a drag queen in apparent response to the mention of the account he used to message the decoy. He was well-known in his community as a drag queen by the name of Miss Gin.

In 2019, Bryant was profiled by North Wales Live, which described him as a drag legend. The fluff piece stated that Bryant had been working in drag for decades, and first began performing in womens clothes when he was 10 years old.

Bryant retired from professional drag shows that year after sustaining an injury and deciding to settle down with his then-fianc Timothy King. Bryant and King, who appears to be significantly younger than he is, were set to be married in 2020.

Earlier this year, Bryant announced he was reviving Miss Gin for the purposes of throwing the first gay pride parade in the community of Welshpool, Wales.

The event, which had been due to take place on July 22, was first floated at a town council meeting in December after Bryant submitted plans to host the event. But, on June 26, it was announced that the event had been cancelled as a result of unforeseen circumstances.

Welshpool Town Council has confirmed the event will not go ahead, with the Town Clerk releasing a short statement reading: The town council and Andrew James Way have decided not to work together in the near future, meaning that the planned Pride event for 2023 will be cancelled.

The event, which was advertised widely, was reportedly sponsored by major retailers including Tesco, Morrisons, and Rikki Lloyd.

Bryant is the second known pedophile drag queen to be identified in the small country of Wales.

As previously reported by Reduxx, well-known drag queen Darren Moore was found dead on the evening of Sunday, January 22, on the streets of Cardiff City Centre. Following his suspicious death, media coverage was largely focused on Moores career as a drag performer and member of the Cardiff gay scene, with many outlets, including the Guardian, failing to note that he was also a convicted child sex offender.

Moore was once known as Darren Sewell, and had been convicted of four counts of rape on a boy under the age of 14 while living in South Wales in 1999. As a result, he spent 3 years in a Young Offenders Institution. Following his offense, Moore was also banned from having contact with children.

Just after Moores death was announced, the founder of Drag Queen Story Hour UK, Sab Samuel, rallied his supporters to donate to a GoFundMe to support Moores funeral costs and husband.

Description

A Wrexham rapist told his victim to kept quiet after attacking her against her will. "Arrogant" David Sam Jones had thought he was going to get away with his crimes but almost a decade later, he has now been brought to justice.

Jones, originally from the Wrexham area, was handed more jail time at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday afternoon (June 2) having admitted to raping a woman in January 2015. Patrick Gartland, prosecuting, told the court Jones had forced himself on the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Jones, aged 22 at the time, ignored that the young woman had already rejected his sexual advances and "climbed on top of her" regardless, pinning her down by the wrists. The court heard how the woman "froze" with fear during the attack.

The defendant then coldly told her: "Just let me" when she begged him to stop. Jones told his victim not to tell anyone about what had happened that night. However, he later sent her a laughing-faced emoji, the court heard, and claimed he had "done nothing wrong" in messages exchanged after the attack

Jones' victim never reported the incident because she initially "feared she would not be believed". However, she later found the strength to face her abuser after he had been convicted of raping another woman that same year.

The court was told briefly how Jones was locked up after committing the horrific crime in October 2015 where he "forcibly and violently" attacked the woman in her car, said Mr Gartland. He also has a "historic sexual offence" on his record from when he was a youth, said the prosecutor.

In an emotional statement read out to the court, the woman spoke about how she lives "with a daily sense of fear", which has caused her to shut out friends and family members. The lasting impact of the crime has left the victim suffering nightmares, she said.

Oliver King, defending, said he could make no excuses for his client's actions. He asked that the judge considered giving him some credit for owning up - albeit at such a late stage in court proceedings - as it spared the woman from having to return to court for a trial which would "no doubt have been a distressing experience".

He added: "It is significant that he has been in custody continuously now since 2016, because that's allowed him to reflect on what he's done. He told probation that he had a sense of entitlement to these women - that's how he felt at the time - but he now recognises that's wrong."

Jones, who was initially set to remain locked up until at least 2026, had seven more years added onto his sentence by Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones. That jail term is set to be followed by four years on license. He told the defendant: "You thought you'd got away with it. In a totally arrogant fashion, and not long after, you committed a second rape and a host of other offences.

He branded Jones a "dangerous offender" and a "blatant liar", who first claimed to have an alibi when he attacked the woman. The judge added: "I haven't read anything that gives me any confidence you're sorry or remorseful for what you have done."

A lifelong restraining order was granted by the judge, who praised the woman's courage in coming forward. Jones was also added onto the sex offenders register permanently.

After the sentencing, Investigating officer DC Jennie Ribbons-Steen said: “Jones’ crimes have spanned over a number of years. He is a danger to society, and I have no doubt he would have gone on to continue to offend. I hope that today's sentence brings some measure of justice and healing to the victim, and highlights that time is never a barrier to investigating a crime and bringing someone to justice.”

Detective Inspector Chris Hargrave of the North Wales Amethyst Team added: “We continue to be committed to bringing sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us. The Amethyst team is made up of specially trained officers to support victims through the investigation.

"We work closely with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to provide confidential medical, practical and emotional support from specialist doctors, nurses and support workers". North Wales Police have further information on how to seek assistance as the victim of a rape, sexual assault and other sexual offence online.

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A MAN from Deganwy has been jailed after he used social networking platforms to groom a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Eric Hughes, 40, of Tan-y-Fron, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment at Caernarfon Crown Court today (May 15).

He was also made subject to sex offenders register notification requirements, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), both for 10 years.

Prosecuting, Elen Owen told the court that, on April 6 and 7, 2022, Hughes sent sexualised messages on both Facebook and WhatsApp to a member of a group called “Child Online Safety Team”.

The group member was posing as a 14-year-old girl, to whom Hughes sent a Facebook friend request, which was then accepted.

After initial conversations, the group member told Hughes she was a 14-year-old girl from Newcastle; Hughes, 39 at the time, said he was aged 30 in response.

He then sent a picture of himself to her, adding: “I bet you look amazing in uniform”, with her telling him she was a school pupil.

The girl reiterated she was 14, with the group member sending Hughes a picture of a young girl; after which, Hughes continued making explicit sexual comments to her.

When the girl asked him if she would “get into trouble”, Hughes replied: “not if you don’t tell”.

A further exchange of messages later involved Hughes suggested “phone sex”, the meaning of which he explained explicitly to the girl after she told him she did not know what that was.

She declined, and Hughes sent her an apology the next morning, before further sexual messages followed from him.

The group’s administrators, and later the police, were then contacted, and Hughes was arrested on April 8, 2022.

In two police interviews, in both April and June 2022, he denied any responsibility or wrongdoing.

Hughes had also breached a five-year SHPO issued to him in March 2019 through his actions – one of the prohibitions of this order stopped him from joining, using or subscribing to any social media site.

He had also received a conditional caution in 2020 relating to an earlier breach of the SHPO.

Defending, Sarah Yates stressed that there was “no child involved” in Hughes’ offending, and that “no harm was caused”.

She described him as having a “very strong work ethic”, having held a job for about two decades.

Sentencing, Recorder Wyn Lloyd-Jones said Hughes was “incredibly lucky” not to have been jailed for the offences which landed him a SHPO in March 2019.

He also accused of Hughes of telling “blatant lies” to police in not taking responsibility for his actions.

Recorder Lloyd-Jones told Hughes: “What you did, and what came to light, exposed your intentions and your thoughts.

“You did this, there is no doubt whatsoever, for your own selfish sexual gratification.

“I can’t close my eyes to the fact that you were given a conditional caution in 2020 for a breach of the SHPO.

“You have re-offended despite treatment. You were given a chance; you threw it away. You behaviour hasn’t changed despite the work done with you.

“Other people are suffering because of your selfishness.

“If you breach that SHPO, you know exactly what will happen. The sentence will not be as short next time.”

Hughes will also pay a statutory surcharge, within three months of his release from prison.

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A FLINTSHIRE man has been jailed after he breached a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Tiramet Thangmandee appeared before Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday to be sentenced.

The 26-year-old was handed a custodial sentence and the SHPO in March last year for possessing indecent images.

On that occasion, a court heard his devices were found to have thousands of indecent images of children.

The court heard that during police checks on his devices in February this year, it became apparent that he'd been accessing a picture sharing app - in breach of his conditions.

Emma Simoes, defending, said: "I appreciate the seriousness of this offence, as does Mr Thangmandee.

"He has a single conviction which gave rise to the order and he's never had the benefit of an order with [probation] interventions."

Addressing questions about 'conflicting' accounts from the defendant about his behaviour, she suggested he may have been "more guarded" when interviewed by police, and less so with probation officers.

Ms Simoes asked the court to consider suspending any term of imprisonment.

Deputy District Judge John Rowan told the defendant the app he had installed on the device was known to police as a method for people interested in indecent images to share such materials.

Summarising the account Thangmandee gave to probation officers about the incident, he said: "You had that app on your device when police checked it and you had not told them.

"You knew, or should have known, that the app had been used by you previously for the downloading and viewing of images.

"You said when you used your email address to access it, you had an account already - I can only assume that was the account you used previously to download indecent images.

"When you signed in, to your shock - you say, and I am not sure I believe that - a number of images you previously downloaded came onto your device and you felt 'overwhelmed' and didn't know what to do about it."

Deputy District Judge Rowan told the defendant that despite having been in custody preciously and measures put in place to reduce his risk of reoffending, "nothing has worked."

As such, Thangmandee was jailed for six months, which will be followed by post sentence supervision.

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A sexual predator who carried out 'disturbing crimes' against a schoolgirl has been locked up. Paedophile Stewart Thomson preyed on the young girl in the Oswestry area of Shropshire.

He was responsible for sexually assaulting her between April 2019 and February 2020. Now, the 40-year-old has been jailed for eight years.

It comes after jurors convicted him of six counts of sexual activity with a child under 16. He also admitted two counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

Detective Sergeant Alice Davies, of reactive CID at West Mercia Police, said: "We are really pleased with the jury’s verdict and the sentence that has been given to Thomson meaning that he will now face the consequences of his disturbing crimes on a vulnerable young girl. We take all forms of child abuse incredibly seriously and I hope this result shows the effort we put into making sure children in our community are safe from sexual predators.

"I hope it acts as reassurance to victims that we will do all we can to make sure offenders face justice." Thomson, of Abbeygate Walk, Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday (March 13).

The convict was placed on the sex offenders register and handed a sexual harm prevention order.

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A woman has been praised for having the bravery to come forward and not let her abuser get away with his crimes. Rapist Thomas Ebbs, of Castle Street in Caergwrle, was locked up for 10 years by a judge when he returned to the dock of Mold Crown Court after being convicted on two counts of rape following a trial.

During the hearing, prosecutor Elen Owen read a statement taken from Ebbs' victim - who cannot be identified for legal reasons. She told how the attack had "changed" her and left her feeling like "damaged goods".

She added: "My barriers are completely up. I have become withdrawn from society and shut people out of my life, fearing that I'll give them the opportunity to hurt and destroy me.

"I do have a sense of relief that the defendant is in custody for now as that means no other woman will have to endure the suffering and life-lasting damage that I have.

"I am glad women are currently safe from who I deem a sexual predator. I still pray that the defendant takes accountability, accepts this is wrong and gets help so this never happens again."

The woman also detailed how she is getting help through counseling to slowly recover from the trauma that Ebbs inflicted upon her.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge David Hale said that Ebbs will be and listed for the rest of his life as a sex offender on the national register. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order, banning him from having contact with the victim ever again.

After the sentencing, Investigating Officer DS Helen Evans said: “I welcome today’s sentence and I hope this shows to other victims of such serious and life changing offences that we take all incidents of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) very seriously, and that these offences are a high priority for the force.

“This was an incredibly difficult investigation for the victim, who has shown immense courage throughout.

"I applaud her for taking the difficult step in reporting the matter to us at the outset and I hope she can now focus on trying to re-build her life. We will continue to place offenders before the court to face justice for heinous crimes such as these.”

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A WREXHAM man has been jailed after he engaged in sexual chat with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Kevin Griffiths, of Coed Aben, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday.

The 51-year-old had previously admitted two counts of attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, one of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Brian Treadwell, prosecuting, told the court the defendant was made the subject of a 10 year SHPO in 2017.

It prohibited him from using any website to contact anyone he knew or suspected to be under 16 years old, as well as sending unsolicited sexual images to anyone.

He was handed a suspended sentence in 2020 for failing to comply with notification requirements under the sexual offences act.

In the current offences, Mr Treadwell explained that over the course of 10 days in January this year, Griffiths contacted someone he believed to be a young girl online, introducing himself under a different name.

He was told very quickly by the person he was speaking to that she was 14.

But in fact this was a decoy account, not a real child.

Despite what he had been told, Griffiths continued the conversation - which he turned increasingly sexual.

He went on to suggest the girl engage in sex acts and sent her a picture of his naked genitalia.

Police attended his home on January 16 this year and arrested him, seizing his phone.

Simon Rogers, defending, told the court that at no point did his client attempt to meet the girl he believed he was speaking to, and that the contact had been over a limited period of time.

"When one looks at the messages, he explained, "there's no sophistication to them.

"In fairness to him, he has not sought to minimise his involvement - he accepts full responsibility.

"The conclusion of a psychiatric report states he is experiencing features of a persistent complex bereavement disorder, and there may also be the presence of a neurological developmental disorder.

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A SEX offender has been jailed for making a new social media account without telling police.

Lee Challinor, of Bryn Offa in Wrexham, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.

The 49-year-old admitted at a previous hearing that he failed to comply with notification requirements under the sexual offences act, as well as breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Laura Knightly, prosecuting, told the court the defendant's SHPO and notification requirements arose in 2019 when the defendant was convicted of 26 offences including attempting to cause a child to watch a sex act and engage in a sex act, as well as the making and distribution of indecent images of children. 

 The SHPO was breached in 2021, and he received a suspended sentence.

Ms Knightly said the matters before the court on Thursday concerned a police visit to his premises in June this year, during which he admitted he'd set up a new account on a social media platform and that he'd failed to register it, or the alias he'd created for it.

The court heard that while the name attributed to the profile did match the defendant's the photo did not.

Henry Hills, defending, told the court his client had been "quite open" about his conduct when the unannounced police visit took place.

He described his client as "vulnerable," adding that "he has problems."

Mr Hills said: "In my submission, he has not sought to minimise his behaviour.

"He has cerebral palsy and has to contend with mobility problems.

"There's no evidence he has engaged in any further sexual offending behaviour." 

 Judge Timothy Petts said the defendant's position was aggravated by his previous offences of a similar nature.

He handed down eight months custody for the SHPO breach, with a concurrent six months for the notification offence.

But the Judge also activated six months of the breached suspended sentence to run consecutive - making a total of 14 months to be served immediately.

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A “family man” was locked up after a judge heard of shocking sexual images of children which he had downloaded. Judge Niclas Parry said at Mold Crown Court that one showed a baby in “discernible distress”.

He told the defendant David Edwards, of Heol Offa in Johnstown, that: “These things were actually happening to these children. "There's a market for these images and the reason is because people like you are prepared to partake of what is available.”

Prosecutor Brian Treadwell said police removed an Apple iPhone and USB from the 32-year-old's home last May. A total of 102 Class A images, the most serious, along with 128 of Class B and 94 of Class C were discovered with files that indicated the Wrexham man had “an interest in children under 10,” he added. 

Henry Hills, defending, said Edwards was “in psychological denial” about his motivation. However, he was a hard working family man and under no illusion about the seriousness of his position. He was remorseful and there was a prospect of rehabilitation were a suspended sentence imposed.

The judge told Edwards, who had no previous convictions, that the case was too serious for a suspended term and jailed him for eight months. Seven-year orders were also imposed for reporting as a sex offender and for sexual harm prevention.

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A 70-year-old Wrexham man is starting a six-year jail term after he admitted a series of child sex offences. William Carter, of Ffordd Estyn in Wrexham, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday for sentencing. He had previously admitted eight counts of sexually touching a child. Henry Hills, defending, said: He understands his behaviour has caused significant harm to the victim. Judge Rhys Rowlands said hed behaved repeatedly in an appalling and totally perverted way. He told Carter he had little insight into the harm hed caused. The abuse had a profound effect. A sexual harm prevention order was made and he must register as a sex offender.

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A WREXHAM teenager has been handed a four-year detention after he groomed and harassed a young girl online. Alex Edwards, of Wynnstay Avenue, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday morning. The 19-year-old had been convicted of a number of offences at a previous hearing, including; causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in a sexual act, disclosing sexual photographs, harassment, threats to kill and possessing indecent images of a child. Elen Owen, prosecuting, explained Edwards befriended the girl on social media and asked her to be his girlfriend. The girl, who lived a significant distance away in England and never met the defendant during the course of his offending, agreed and the defendant began sending gifts to her. The online relationship continued, but he became controlling - making her stay on the phone with him or on social media and demanding that she didn't go out. Then he started to have sex toys posted to the girl, one of which she used at his instruction while he watched via video. He took screenshots of the act and also had her send him indecent images of herself. Roughly five months after the relationship began, the girl ended it and blocked Edwards on social media. After that, he bombarded her and her family with threatening messages, including that he would burn her home down and kill her. He even sent the girl's father indecent images he had taken of her online, telling him: "Just to let you know, I am on my way to kill your daughter." But Edwards never travelled to the area where the victim lived. When his phone was examined, it was found to contain two indecent images of category A - the most serious - and 16 of category C. Philip Tully, defending, told the court: "He accepts the only appropriate sentence is immediate detention. "All of the offences arise out of one course of conduct over a period of time." Mr Tully emphasised that his client had pleaded guilty to the offence of inciting the girl to engage in a sex act on a basis. He told the court it amounted to Edwards assertion that "although there could not be consent, there was an agreement and both parties were willing to participate in the conduct." Mr Tully said the defendant presents with a low level of maturity and has since shown "genuine remorse" for his actions. "Mr Edwards has had a difficult childhood and upbringing," he added. "During that time he has had a number of traumatic experiences." Judge Niclas Parry told Edwards: "There are numerous offences. They exhibit worrying behaviour. "You have an obsession with social media and you've had numerous relationships with young females you've met online. "You made threats - serious threats - clearly intending to cause the maximum distress." Overall, the Judge handed down a period of four years detention in a young offenders institute for the defendant. Edwards was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender indefinitely. The court imposed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim.

Description

A sex offender was told he had "no realistic prospects of rehabilitation" after being caught accessing indecent images of children online for a second time. Ryan Hall, of Hill Close in Penycae, was jailed after "reverting to his old ways".

Prosecuting, Alexandra Carrier, told Mold Crown Court how police enquires back in March 2021 found that an account that had uploaded an indecent image to the internet belonged to Hall. He was arrested and his home in Wrexham was searched where officers found two internal hard drives, an external hard drive, an iPhone and a computer desktop tower.

In a folder found on the tower, police discovered over a dozen indecent images of children. There were a total of 233 files that "indicated Hall had a sexual interest in children", according to Ms Carrier, but these were not charged.

The court was told how, in interview, the 22-year-old confirmed that the desktop tower was his, having built it himself. However, when probed about the images they found on the device, he answered no comment.

Hall was previously convicted in 2019 for making indecent photographs of children. The court also heard how, armed with a knife, he had previously lunged at a detective who had cornered him on a bus and was sentenced to 27 weeks at a young offenders' institute meaning he would have been under post-sentence supervision at the time he sought out these indecent images.

Defending, Henry Hills, told the court how his client was experiencing poor mental health - as well as abusing alcohol and cocaine - at the time these discoveries were made. Mr Hills said Hall had since tried to make steps that would lead him towards a "better life", mainly having started a new job in January this year as a chef.

However, the judge Rhys Rowlands felt that there was "no realistic prospects of rehabilitation", especially considering that this was Hall's second time in possession of such content. He said: "The reality of the situation is that this is a sex offender who, despite having the assistance of the probation service, has reverted to his old ways.

He continued: "The difficulty is that the courts can, and try, to draw back from custody in these cases if there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation when it's a first offence but this is Mr Hall's second time." The judge remained unconvinced that Hall wanted to change, telling his solicitor that it would be "asking an awful lot" of the courts to give Hall "another chance" after accessing this "filth".

When passing a 30-week jail sentence, he said: "The number of images recovered is somewhat modest by comparison to what is commonly seen by the courts. Nonetheless, these are serious matters as you were accessing the material over a not insignificant period of time. Of course, you have the previous conviction in 2019 for behaving in exactly the same fashion."

The judge ordered that Hall be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the next decade. An order to have all items that were seized by the police destroyed was also granted.