Latest Offenders Denbigh

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A "devious" sex offender was branded a "danger to children" after being found with indecent images for the fourth time. Tristan Richard Hughes, of Henllan in Denbigh, is again behind bars after he was found with a stash of images of young girls.

The 32-year-old was charged with breaching his sexual harm prevention order. He was also charged with making and distributing indecent images of children.

It came after his family had told police he was hiding secret devices. At Mold Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Niclas Parry jailed him for three years.

Prosecuting, Jemma Gordan, told the court how Hughes, who has been diagnosed with autism, is currently under the eye of the authorities through a sexual harm prevention order. This bans him, amongst other requirements, from having access to electronic devices that they do not know about.

The court heard how, in November 2021, North Wales Police were contacted by Hughes' own sister to state that her brother wasn't following the terms of the order. When police officers came to Hughes' home address in Denbigh the same day, they were met by his sister who said that Hughes had disclosed to her that he had a phone and a laptop the authorities did not know about.

When he was later interviewed, he admitted to breaching the order by having the devices. However, he maintained that police would not find anything on the computers that breached his order.

Ms Gordan said that the laptop and mobile phone were then forensically analysed and his lies were soon exposed. Both were found to contain dozens of indecent images of young girls, roughly aged between the ages of seven and 12.

Previously, Hughes had been handed a suspended sentence in 2013 for making and possessing indecent images of children. However, in November 2015, he was jailed for 21 months after the then Llandrillo College student was found with more indecent images on his mobile phones.

His last court appearance, the prosecutor said, came in October 2020. Hughes was dealt with for a further charge relating to creating indecent images and was handed a two year suspended sentence.

The defence, Simon Kileen, said that Hughes is "terrified" at the prospect of returning to jail, having already served a sentence behind bars. However, he and his family understand that there would be "absolutely no alternative" for the judge.

Mr Kileen also told the court how Hughes' autism diagnosis plays a "major role" in his day-to-day thinking as well as the actions he chooses to take. He submitted that this was a factor the judge should account for when sentencing.

Judge Parry, passing a sentence of three years in total, branded Hughes a "devious" offender who was "a danger to children". He was said to have wasted the "remarkable opportunities" that the court afforded him.

The judge said: "Quite simply, you have run out of chances. You are devious and you will lie to your family and those who want to help you - all because of this desire that you have to satisfy your admitted attraction to young children.

"It is to your family's credit that they saw the danger and alerted the authorities. They didn't do that to get you in trouble, they did that to stop you from getting yourself into further trouble down the line."

The judge ordered that the existing sexual harm prevention order, which will run up to 2030 at present, should remain in place. His secret devices were ordered to be destroyed.

Description

A man who raped a young girl in the woods when he was a teenager was sentenced for his crimes today.

Steven Booker was 15 when he raped the 13-year-old in Rhyl in the summer of 1990.

The horrific offence only came to light after the victim became a grown woman and reported the incident.

Today Steven Booker, now 46, of Rhydwen Drive, Rhyl, was jailed at Mold Crown Court for two years and six months for the rape.

His co-accused Nicholas Roberts, also 46, of Cheltenham Avenue, Rhyl, was also jailed for six months for indecently assaulting the girl.

Their victim has lifelong anonymity to protect her identity.

The judge His Honour Judge David Hale, told the defendants in the dock: “I’m going to sentence you for something that you did many years ago, something you hoped would never ever see the light of day, and certainly something you hoped you would never see as a conviction.”

The judge added: "You must have remembered it. You must have been ashamed for what you did to that girl then, when she was 13 and a half.

"You, Mr Booker, would have been 15 and a quarter. You, Mr Roberts, 15 and a half, playing in the woods on a summer's day."

The judge said Booker "took it upon yourself to have a sexual experience with her".

The judge said an aggravating feature was what he said to Roberts, which the court heard was "Wanna go, Nick?"

Jailing Booker for the rape, he also gave him two concurrent sentences of six months each for two indecent assaults.

As for Nicholas Roberts, the judge said the rape and indecent assaults happened "in front of him"

But Roberts was cleared of raping the 13-year-old girl.

Mold Crown Court also heard that about a year after the incident in the woods, Roberts raped a different girl in a house in Rhyl.

"It was a deliberate act on your part", said the judge.

One victim said the crimes have affected her ability to trust people and to be intimate. The convictions by the jury were a "great weight off her shoulders".

The other victim said she suffers flashbacks and feels unsafe in Rhyl.

Simon Rogers, defending Booker, said his client's offences stemmed from a "single incident of sexual experimentation".

And Simon Killeen, defending, urged the judge to be lenient and said Roberts has learning difficulties. His mother, who has severe arthritis, relies on him to drive.

Overall, he jailed Booker for two and a half years for the rape in the woods, plus two six-month terms for indecent assaults, both to run concurrently.

Roberts was jailed for two and a half years for the rape in the house, plus six months for the indecent assault and six months for sexual assault of a child aged under 13, making a total of three and a half years' imprisonment.

He was further given six months in jail for inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, to run concurrently.

Both men also received lifelong restraining orders not to contact their victims.

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A paedophile posed as a girl on social media to trick a boy into sending naked photos and sexual videos before blackmailing him.

Corey Hycz, who admitted he was sexually attracted to children, told the victim he would send the explicit photos to his friends if he did not send him further images.

In a statement read out at Mold Crown Court the victim said: I could never have imagined someone would do this to me.

Ffion Tomos, prosecuting, said the victim who cannot be named for legal reasons was in year seven when he first received a message from a profile called Molly.

The court heard it was the defendant pretending to be a girl from another school. She told the victim he was attractive and asked him if he had reached puberty.

Prosecutors said the boy replied he was not sure and Molly asked him to send naked photos so she could give him advice.

The boy sent 20 pictures of his genitals and three explicit videos of himself. Ms Tomos said: The defendant continued to look for further material from [him]. When he did not comply with those requests he blackmailed him.

Hycz told the victim if he failed to send him any more images Molly would show his friends the images he had already sent.

The boy was left feeling nervous and worried and he tried to block the account but the defendant created another fake profile called Sammy and used that to contact him again. He told the victim he would share the images with everyone if he did not unblock Molly.

Initially the boy did not tell anyone but eventually confided in a close friend and later a family member.

Describing the moment he was first contacted he said: I thought they just wanted to be friends. When they asked for photos I was confused I felt pressured.

He added: When the person became threatening I was much more stressed and frightened. I was worried what might happen if it got out in school.

I was worried people would make fun of me and my friends would stop speaking to me. I began to isolate myself.

He said he felt stressed at school and could not concentrate on his work. He felt worried when he thought he might have to give evidence at court.

Hycz was arrested at home in Ruthin on June 4 last year and replied to the caution: I havent done anything.

His phone and laptop were seized and found to contain 39 of the most serious Category A indecent images of children, 20 at Category B, and 31 at Category C.

Prosecutors said there was also one Category C film and his search terms included school uniform porn. He had also searched for local schools.

The defendant had two police interviews and denied committing any offences. The court heard he had no previous convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings.

Hycz, 21, from Min Yr Afon, Ruthin, admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity as well as blackmail and making indecent images of children.

Simon Killeen, defending, said his client was under 18 when the offending started and described him as naive. He told the court he was socially isolated and diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.

Judge Niclas Parry noted a pre-sentence report found him to present a high risk of sexual re-offending and told him: By your own admissions you are sexually attracted to children.

Hycz was jailed for 27 months. A 10-year sexual harm prevention order was imposed and he must register as a sex offender for that time.

Detective Constable Natalie Horgan-Jones, of North Wales Police, said: This sentence reflects the serious nature of his offending and hopefully it will provide reassurance to both the victim and community of how the criminal justice system will deal with this type of offender.

This investigation was only possible with the courage and resolve of the victim in reporting these crimes. Hopefully it will bring closure to a prolonged period of stress and anxiety the victim has suffered at the hands of the defendant and I hope it provides some level of comfort to the whole family."

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A woman convicted of having sex with a schoolboy, aged just 13, on a kitchen floor, has avoided a jail term.

But Jordan Lightfoot, 21, was warned by Judge David Hale: “No teenage lads around for parties or anything like that.”

Lightfoot, of Edith Parc Rhyl, had denied three charges of - having sexual activity with the 13-year-old boy, and also sexual activity by touching with a boy of 15 and causing or inciting the elder boy to engage in sexual activity, but was found guilty earlier this month.

Lightfoot, who was 19 at the time of the offences, had sex with the younger boy - who was a virgin - at her home in the summer of 2016, a jury heard.

The offences came to light when the boy’s mother found text messages on his mobile phone.

After considering a pre-sentence report Judge Hale imposed an 18 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 50 days of rehabilitation activity.

A five-year sexual harm prevention order was made which bans Lightfoot from contact with boys aged between 11 and 16 unless inadvertent or with consent of parents who know about the conviction.

Lightfoot, who is the mother of a baby whose father is unconnected with the case, was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and must pay £140 costs.

Jo Maxwell, prosecuting, said text messages between Lightfoot and the 13 -year-old “made it obvious she was in control of the relationship”.

Simon Killeen, defending, said the offences happened in a short period of time “when she was an immature teenager.”

Passing sentence Judge Hale said it happened during a troubled period of her life, living on her own. “You became involved with a group of lads, people who were prepared to befriend you, and you were prepared to befriend them. On these two occasions you engaged in a brief sexual relationship with both of them.”

The 15-year-old had become obsessed with her – “and that’s always the risk”.

“There is a disparity of age, they were vulnerable because they were even less equipped than you to deal with the emotional relationships involved. I accept you were immature.”

The sexual harm order was to avoid the risk of her “forming a relationship with a lad of 14 or 15”, the court heard.

Speaking after sentencing, an NSPCC Cymru spokesperson said: “Child sexual abuse can have devastating effects on victims and it’s important that the two boys in this case get the support they require.

“Letting the Future In is an NSPCC service, based in Prestatyn, which frequently helps young survivors of this crime to move forward with their lives.”

Description

Jack Williams, 19, of Mount Road admitted kidnapping the woman, holding her against her will on the beach and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent A woman in her 60s was beaten and brutally raped on a beach by a teenager who was high on drink and drugs. The victim, who suffered serious injuries, believed she was about to be killed, Mold Crown Court heard. Jack Williams, 19, of Mount Road in Rhyl , admitted kidnapping the woman, holding her against her will on the beach, and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. He also pleaded guilty to three charges of rape during the attack on August 27. The teenager was sentenced to 12 years detention, of which he must serve two-thirds, with an additional two years on licence. Williams was also ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for life. A 10-year restraining order was made not to approach the victim or enter the town where she lives. Before sentence was passed a victim impact statement the woman was read out to the court. She said: My life has changed and I honestly feel it will never be the same for me or my family again. This horrendous experience will only end when I am in the grave. The woman said she was scared of going out alone, felt vulnerable and in a panic, did not feel safe and was not sure if she would ever feel safe again. The victim said she was tearful most days, it had affected her and her family, and she had vivid flashbacks and could see his face. I remember the feeling of being powerless. I thought I was going to die that day, she said. I did survive but I feel a life sentence has been imposed upon me because of the changes in my life. The scars would never go away, she said. Andrew Green, prosecuting, said the victim left her home at about 4.40am to walk her dog. Near a railway station she noticed Williams who was drinking out of a bottle or can. He asked her the time before following and attacked her. Mr Green said: The defendant put his arm across her neck and face and she felt that he had a vice-like grip on her. She said that she could hardly breathe and was not able to shout or scream. Williams started raising his voice. She was petrified and did not struggle because he was so strong and she knew that she would not be able to run away from him. At this point she honestly believed that he was going to strangle her, Mr Green said. Williams pushed her to the ground causing a head injury. He then pulled her to her feet and she remembers seeing blood down the front of her clothing, he said. It was difficult for her to see her attackers face because he had his hood up but from time to time he pulled it down and told her not to look at him. The victim was pulled up a concrete slope onto the pebbled side of the beach and he told her: When I have finished with you, you are going to end up in the sea. The woman asked him what his mother would have thought of what he was doing but he ignored her and began the sex attack. He kicked her dog and told her to let it go, which she did. Throughout the ordeal she believed she might be killed at any point, said Mr Green. Fortunately she saw a passer-by and told her attacker, who ran off as she screamed for help. She was assisted by the passer-by who described how she was completely distraught. The woman was left feeling dirty, filthy and drained. She was left with serious injuries including a fractured eye socket, lacerations, bruising and scratches. Williams was arrested nearby at 6.30am. He said he had been drinking and taking drugs at a friends house, and was dropped off at the station intending to go to Manchester but was told to get off at the next station because he did not have a ticket. Williams denied being responsible for the attack. Matthew Curtis, defending, said it was a terrible crime by an immature and emotionally damaged young man who had been neglected as a child. He could not believe what he had done, was outraged by his actions and the distress he had caused the victim. Judge Rhys Rowlands said anyone who saw photographs taken of the woman after her ordeal would be "incensed and extremely angry" that anyone could inflict such serious injuries on a woman of that age.