Locations
Prospect Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1
Description
A "depraved" teacher pretended to be a 16-year-old girl online to trick two boys into sending him intimate images of themselves. The boys were left "broken" by Daniel Fuge's "twisted need for control," Mold Crown Court heard.
Fuge, 38, whose parents live in Wrexham, had been working as a primary school teacher in the Middle East. He denied the offences but was convicted by a jury last month. Today [Monday] a judge jailed the "depraved" paedophile for 10 years. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
He was given a seven year sentence for inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity with penetration, and jailed for a further three years for the same offence without penetration against a second boy. Eric Lamb, prosecuting, told the court Fuge posed as a girl, 16, and encouraged the first boy, 13, to send naked photos of himself.
He then incited the boy to send a video of himself carrying out a sexual act. Police investigated and found someone using the same account had also incited a second boy, 14, to send Fuge naked photos of himself.
Fuge, of Prospect Road, Dorchester, Dorset, was traced as being a primary school teacher working in Saudi Arabia. Fuge's devices, found at his parents' home in Wrexham, contained five indecent images of children in category C.
The court also heard Fuge had been arrested in summer 2022, but later threw himself towards a train in Dorset, after which he was treated for a fractured arm. Today the first victim's father read out a powerful statement to the court.
Addressing Fuge, who was on a video link from HMP Berwyn, he said his son had been "smart, kind and considerate" but fell victim to "feeding (Fuge's) twisted need for control". After Fuge leaked photos on the internet, his son was bullied in school but also intimidated at home - where he should have felt safe - by Fuge's online presence "prowling just out of reach".
The father added: "My wife and I feared our son would commit suicide because of your lurid bearings." But finally the "faceless evil" is over, he said.
"It's your turn to feel ashamed, it's your turn to feel embarrassed, it's your turn to feel fear of what might happen," he said. The mother of the second victim said in a statement, read by the prosecutor, she was worried about her "broken boy".
She was frightened he could take his own life and checked on him every hour. She said she was "so pleased" that both boys "are still here with us". Nevertheless his father felt he had failed to protect his son from the "monster" Fuge.
She added: "You may have stolen their childhood but you won't steal their future." Nicholas Williams, defending, said Fuge had incited the video of the first victim and shared the video with the second victim.
But "someone else" had then taken the second victim's phone, found the video and posted it around the school. The offences had been denied until a jury convicted Fuge, but neither boy had had to give evidence in person, added defence counsel.
Mr Williams admitted it was "worrying" that his client had been a primary school teacher. However there was no link between his crimes and any pupils in the Middle East, he said.
The judge, His Honour Rhys Rowlands, said the "depraved" defendant had deceived both boys. He noted the second boy was told to send more images and threatened in capital letters that images would be shared online if he didn't.
Jailing him he ordered him to sign the sex offender register and be made subject to a sexual harm prevention order both for ten years. There was an indefinite restraining order prohibiting Fuge from contacting his victims and he is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.