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THIS is the face of a sex offender who sent a picture of his penis to who he thought was a 14-year-old boy and encouraged the ‘boy’ to masturbate.

Andrew Gold, 41, of no fixed abode, was described “devious and manipulative” as he was jailed by Judge Catherine Richards at Swansea Crown Court.

Gold had faced a trial over allegations of attempted sexual communications with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He was found guilty of both charges on July 2.

The defendant was sentenced to five years, made up of three years in custody and a further two years extended licence period.

“I’m sure there is a serious risk to young boys,” Judge Richards said as she sentenced Gold.

The court heard that Gold, previously of Tenby, contacted who he thought was a 14-year-old boy named Ryan – but was actually as decoy account – between June and September last year.

“Your conversation soon turned sexual,” Judge Richards said, summarising the evidence heard at trial.

The contact began on a dating app, before swiftly moving on to Snapchat. Gold sent ‘Ryan’ a picture of his penis and asked him to send pictures of himself. He also described sexual acts to ‘Ryan’ that he said he planned do with him, and encouraged ‘Ryan’ to masturbate.

Judge Richards described Gold’s behaviour as “devious and manipulative offending”, as he specifically chose to move the conversation on to Snapchat due to the disappearing messages feature, as well as the subsequent deletion of Gold’s Snapchat account.

“Your actions were determined and calculated,” Judge Richards said.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue told the court that Gold had relevant previous convictions.

“This was an online offence,” said Dyfed Thomas, in mitigation.

“I accept there was some discussion about meeting. It didn’t really develop.”

Referring to Gold’s offending, Mr Thomas admitted: “There is limited mitigation here”.

Mr Thomas said measures put in place through the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order and the defendant registering as a sex offender would reduce the danger Gold posed to the public, and that he would benefit from taking part in the Horizon programme.

Gold was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Police hunting sex offender Stephen Haydn James, convicted of touching two underage girls in Tenby last year have made an arrest.

The fifty-two-year-old will return to prison for failing to comply with the terms of his release licence.

On Thursday (June 20) evening Dyfed-Powys Police launched a public appeal to find James, known for sleeping rough along coastal areas, after he failed to comply with his sex offender notification requirements.

James, of no fixed address, is known to spend a significant amount of time in the Tenby area.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Following a public appeal for Stephen Haydn James, an arrest was made this morning.

“James will return to prison for failing to comply with the terms of his release licence.

“We would like to thank everyone who shared information with us, as the public appeal led directly to him being located.”

James, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault when he appeared at Swansea Crown Court last November; after being charged with touching a six-year-old and an 11-year-old in a sexual manner in two separate shops in Tenby town centre on September 16.

CCTV from the shops was recovered and examined, and the following day James (who gave his address in court as of Station Road, Tenby) was identified and arrested.

James was sentenced to 13 months in prison; and would serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

He was put on the sex offender register for the next 10 years, and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.