Latest Offenders Gwynedd

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A voyeur who secretly photographed a woman in a shower and getting changed has been spared jail.

Harry Jeffrey Alfred Holland, 20, of Gwynedd, had pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism when he twice recorded a person doing a private act to obtain sexual gratification.

Caernarfon Magistrates today gave him a 24 week jail term, suspended for two years.

He must go on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years and pay 707 in costs and compensation.

However, bench chairman Julie Eddows said no amount of compensation would make up for the victims distress.

Prosecutor Diane Williams said the two offences took place last year.

There was an investigation and images of the woman having a shower and changing were found on a device.

In a statement, the victim said she wasn't sure whether to seek a prosecution but after "reflecting and absorbing'" what had happened she went ahead.

She said she wants Holland to face the "embarrassment and anxiety" that she has faced.

She said her life had been "turned upside down."

She feels "violated" and is now unable to shower without covering herself with a blanket.

She also said that she can't use public conveniences without checking for cameras.

The victim also says she doesn't feel that Holland believes he has "done much wrong."

Liz Jones, defending Holland, said her client insists he has not distributed any images.

The factory worker is of previous good character and feels "disgusted" with his behaviour. He has lost friends and become isolated. The court proceedings have given him a "steep learning curve."

Bench chairman Julie Eddows said the offences have had an "ongoing impact" on the victim, who cannot be named to protect her identity.

Handing down the suspended jail term, she also ordered Holland do rehabilitation activity for 80 days and go on a 45-session sexual offences treatment programme.

He must pay costs and 500 compensation to the victim.

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Carl Thomas Morgan's computer was "riddled" horrendous abuse footage and photographs

A vile pervert with a collection of extreme child abuse images was today jailed for three years.

Carl Thomas Morgan's hoard of pictures and videos was so extreme it included pictures of necrophilia.

Morgan's vile stash contained over 150,000 images and videos - so many that police gave up counting.

Of the 956 images that were analysed, 337 were placed in the worst category.

Many showed girls aged 15 and under being abused.

Rhys Rothwell prosecuting said analysis of the material showed Morgan's "enjoyment of necrophilia, paedophilia and rape," Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

He said Morgan, 28, of Garth Road, Bangor also had an interest in familial sex abuse as well as children being abused while intoxicated or drugged.

Some images also contained animals.

Outlining the case, Mr Rothwell said it was in November 2018 that the social media site, Kik Messenger reported that users in a private group had shared a number of videos "depicting serious child abuse".

An "indecent" 13-second clip had been shared by a user called TheTitch00 - the IP addresses of which were traced back to Morgan's home in Cornwall and to his university address in Bangor.

Police executed a search warrant at the Bangor address and seized Morgan's phone and laptop.

When he was arrested and questioned, he admitted being TheTitch00 and accepted he'd uploaded the image, but claimed he was part of a vigilante group searching the dark web for evidence to catch paedophiles.

Mr Rothwell said: "He said he knew what he was doing was illegal but was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good."

But Morgan said he'd accidentally deleted all information about the vigilante group some months beforehand, the prosecution added.

Forensic analysis of the phone and laptop found more than 150,000 images.

Of the 956 that were categorised, 337 were listed as Category A.

Some 16 were prohibited images and 37 were images depicting extreme pornography.

During a second interview, Morgan denied any sexual interest in children and said he'd been "intrigued from a medical perspective" about some of the more extreme images and was "curious about human nature and its ability to participate in such behaviour".

He pleaded guilty to seven charges including one of distributing an indecent image, three of making indecent images, one of possessing prohibited images and two of possessing extreme images.

In his defence, the court heard how Morgan had no previous convictions and "there was no suggestion of any attempt to make contact with any child".

The offences had dated back "quite some time" and there had been no further offending since Morgan was arrested.

Sentencing him to three years in jail, Judge, Timothy Petts said: "In November 2018, you shared...a disgusting video of child abuse.

"You were traced. Your computer was examined.

"It was found to be riddled with horrendous videos and images of abuse, so many that the police stopped counting.

"Everyone who searches for, downloads and shares such images plays their part in the abuse of children."

He added: "The affect of such behaviour towards a child is almost certain to be lifelong and immeasurable.

"The schedule of images that gives some examples of images and videos that were found on your computer makes for disturbing reading.

The judge said Morgan's account to the police about the vigilante group was "obvious nonsense."

Morgan was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

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A man in his 40s has been jailed after he was convicted of sex offences which occurred when he was a teenager.

Jason Hughes, 43, of Ffordd Mela, Pwllheli, pleaded not guilty at Mold Crown Court but was this afternoon convicted of indecent assault and indecency with a child by a 10 to two majority.

He was cleared of a third charge.

Judge Niclas Parry jailed him for three and a half years and ordered him to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

A life-time sexual harm prevention order was made under which he is not to approach the victim in any way.

He is not to have any unsupervised contact with girls under 16 apart from what is unavoidable in day to day life unless he had the consent of a parent or guardian who knows all about his offending.

Judge Parry said that, when he was aged 18 or so, the defendant had gratified himself sexually by abusing her when she was very young.

He isolated her and indulged in sexual acts with her.

She was a total innocent used by you for pleasure, the judge told him.

You knew that at that age if you told her not to tell anyone she would listen and that is what happened.

The judge said that, if he was sentenced under modern-day guidelines, the starting point would have been four years with a range of three to eight years.

Hughes, he said, was a hardworking man of good character.

He had been convicted of few incidents which were not repeated and no violence or threats had been used.

The offences occurred some 25 years ago when the defendant himself was aged about 18, the judge said.

Prosecuting barrister Anna Price told how the victim, now an adult woman, came forward more recently and reported what had happened to her when she was young.

Defending barrister Duncan Bould said after the jury verdicts that the defendant knew it had to be custody, which would be a big change for him he would lose his job and in all probability his home.

The sentence would mean that he would lose contact with his young son who he saw on a regular basis.

His offending as found by the jury had been limited and in the intervening 25 years or so he had led a positive life.

He had essentially worked for the same employer, he worked hard and had raised a family, said Mr Bould.

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A man with evil eyes who followed a woman into an underpass in the early hours and sexually attacked her has been jailed for six years and four months.

Judge Rhys Rowlands told attacker Llion Wyn Jones that it was the stuff of nightmares for young women and their families.

The victim, who was aged 20 at the time of the attack, had to give up work and told a court today in a victim impact statement that her life had changed completely following the incident in Bangor.

Jones, 43, of Ashton Terrace, Caernarfon, admitted false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence, after a charge of attempted rape was dropped.

The court heard he grabbed her by the throat, tried to open her underclothing and went to open his own trousers during the attack in Penybryn Road.

But Jones victim kicked him as she feared she was going to lose consciousness, and was able to get away.

Jones laughed as he walked away, the court heard.

Judge Rowlands, sitting at Mold Crown Court, commended the victim for her behaviour from beginning to end.

Prosecuting barrister Elen Owen said that, in the early hours of September 10, the victim was walking home after a night out with friends.

Her boyfriend was due to meet her but she had set off earlier than planned.

As she approached the Skerries public house at the end of the high street, she saw the defendant for the first time, said Miss Owen.

She had never seen him before. He was walking ahead of her and she thought nothing of it initially.

However, she then realised that having turned off the street he was now behind her.

She was on the phone to her boyfriend at the time, told him her concerns and he tried to assure her there was nothing to worry about.

As they approached the underpass, which she described as a tunnel, she thought he was taking a different route so she proceeded into the tunnel, the court heard.

She wouldnt usually dream of going through the dark tunnel alone, said Miss Owen.

She then became aware that the defendant had rushed ahead of her and was glaring at her with - as she describes it - evil eyes.

The defendant threw the food he was carrying and grabbed her, pushing her against a wall, pressing his whole body against hers with all his weight.

Jones managed to turn her phone off while it was in her left hand, said Miss Owen.

He tried to force her down to the floor and the victim described how she was halfway down as his hand was trying to touch her everywhere all over her right side.

Jones tried to get into her clothing, grunting as he did so, and tried undoing his own trousers when he failed to open her clothing.

She shouted help and tried to push him away and kick him.

Jones hold on her throat got tighter and she described how she could not see anything, she couldnt breathe and no sound was coming out despite her trying to shout.

She punched Jones as hard as she could with her right hand to his jaw and he let go of her throat, said Miss Owen.

She managed to unlock her phone and told him her boyfriend was coming.

He was smirking and laughing before he walked away.

She could not move and just stood there gasping for breath, said Miss Owen.

Fortunately, her boyfriend then arrived at the scene.

Arrested and interviewed, Jones said he was very drunk, saw a girl wearing sexy clothing and decided to try his luck with her.

He claimed he asked her for a kiss and grabbed her breast and her buttocks.

In a statement, his victim said that, since the attack, she had difficulty sleeping, had nightmares and flashbacks, had lost her confidence, feared being alone and had to give up her employment.

Following the sentencing, PC John Evans, a victim liaison officer from North Wales Police's Amethyst team, said: "I hope this sentence goes some way to reassure the victim and echoes the words used by the judge that she demonstrated great strength of character in coming forward, standing up to the perpetrator and ensuring that justice was served.

"It should also serve as a warning to perpetrators that these types of crimes will not be tolerated within our community and will be investigated meticulously.

"It is important to reassure victims that North Wales Police will provide the appropriate specialist support to assist them through every stage of an investigation and throughout any subsequent court proceedings."

The Amethyst team provide specialist services to support victims and encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward.

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A serial paedophile from north Wales who preyed on and abused young boys over a 33-year period has been jailed for three years.

Robert Tecwyn Hughes, 53, of Blaenau Ffestiniog, appeared before Caernarfon Crown Court for sentence on Friday.

He had pleading guilty to two charges of committing and two of inciting acts of gross indecency.

Hughes asked for 15 similar offences involving boys and young men to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Tom Morgan Jones told the court the scale of the abuse emerged after Hughes' behaviour towards a teenager who visited his home.

'Terrified'

He said the boy had been "terrified" when Hughes produced a bottle of beer and switched on a pornographic video.

Hughes said he would tell the boy's mother he had been drinking and watching "blue" movies if the teenager told her what had gone on.

"The whole object is to ensure you have no contact with young children ever again" Judge Huw Daniel.

But the youngster confided in his best friend and the matter came to light.

Mr Morgan Jones said the boy's complaint "opened the floodgates" to further allegations by others who had been abused by Hughes.

"Each thought they were alone in that experience until they realised other complaints had been forthcoming."

Defence barrister Duncan Bould said Hughes had been a victim turned abuser.

Judge Huw Daniel told Hughes his crimes were "abhorrent."

'Suffering'

He said: "It was a deliberate act of grooming to see how far you could take something you knew was wrong."

The judge said he understood Hughes had been sexually abused when he was younger but told him: "That should have made you more determined not to inflict the same suffering on others."

Hughes must register as a sex offender for life and is banned from entering any home where children are present or from working with children.

The judge said: "The whole object of these directions is to ensure you have no contact with young children and don't have the temptation of doing anything to them ever again."

Outside the court, the mother of a child who originally reported Hughes to the police praised her son for coming forward.

She criticised the sentence as being too lenient: "He deserves more after what he's put everyone through."