Adrian Hughes 35

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A former Dudley councillor has been jailed for 32 months after admitting four sexual offences involving children in an online police sting.

Adrian Hughes, 36, of Marsh Lane, Preston, was caught by officers who posed as two girls – “Lucy”, 13, and “Molly”, 12 – on the platforms IB and Kick between May and June 2025.

Despite no real victims, Recorder A Siddiqi told Preston Crown Court on April 24: “You thought you were messaging 12 and 13-year-olds, you could have done a great deal of harm. Unacceptable does not capture how appalling your behaviour was; immediate custody was inevitable.”

Hughes, a Labour councillor in Dudley from 2022 to 2024, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl under 13 into non-penetrative sexual activity, the same offence with a girl aged 13–15, and attempting sexual communication with a child in both age groups.

He contacted “Lucy” first, asked for pictures, complimented her “amazing body” and sent explicit messages. He then messaged “Molly”, asked her to remove her hoodie, briefly broke off contact after noting she was “too young”, but later sent images of himself in underwear and of his genitals.

He was arrested on 23 June 2025.

Defence lawyer Georgia Faulke said Hughes was previously of good character and the offences occurred over a short period while he was suffering mental health difficulties, isolation and self-medicating with cocaine, cannabis and alcohol. He has since stopped taking drugs and dramatically reduced his drinking.

“It was a period of isolation, he wanted support from someone, someone to talk to,” Miss Faulke told the court. “It stems from mental health difficulties he was going through at the time.”

Recorder Siddiqi imposed 32 months’ imprisonment for the incitement offence and concurrent terms of 12, 15 and 12 months for the others. She noted as aggravating that Hughes had deleted some chats to conceal evidence.

He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and indefinite notification requirements.