ANDREW LLOYD AND SHOCKING SEXUAL PREDATION IN FLINTSHIRE
A man from Flintshire has been sentenced to prison after he reverted to previous harmful behaviors by attempting to engage in sexual communication with someone he believed to be a minor.Andrew Lloyd, aged 39, residing on Chester Road in Northop Hall, appeared before Mold Crown Court on a Tuesday morning to receive his sentence.
Lloyd had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate sexually with a child under the age of 16.
This offending occurred over approximately two weeks during October and November of the current year.
The prosecution, led by Karl Scholz, outlined to the court that Lloyd's actions also violated a ten-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that had been imposed on him earlier.
The violations included his attempt to contact a minor and his use of social networking platforms without prior notification to authorities.
According to the evidence presented, Lloyd initiated contact through an online profile that displayed a photograph of a young girl.
Within just thirty minutes of the chat, after the profile's owner claimed to be 12 years old, Lloyd responded by sending a graphic image of his genitals.
Fortunately, the account was part of a decoy operation managed by a vigilant group dedicated to identifying online sexual predators.
This group monitored the conversation and moved the chat to WhatsApp, where Lloyd continued to discuss his genitals and solicited explicit images from the supposed minor.
Lloyd's location was revealed during the chat, prompting the vigilante group to visit his address.
Shortly thereafter, Lloyd was arrested at his residence.
The court was informed that Lloyd had a prior conviction in September 2021 for similar offenses, which resulted in a two-year custodial sentence and the imposition of the current ten-year SHPO.
During police interviews, Lloyd admitted to being the individual in the chat and expressed remorse for his actions.
He explained that he had been cooperating with probation services following his previous conviction but had relapsed into drug use and experienced mental health difficulties after conflicts at his living arrangements.
His defense attorney, Elen Owen, stated that Lloyd did not wish to make excuses but highlighted that his circumstances had worsened due to threats made against him in prison, which led to his return to cocaine use and the subsequent offending.
The judge, Niclas Parry, addressed Lloyd directly, emphasizing the gravity of his actions.
He noted that within half an hour of believing he was speaking to a 12-year-old girl, Lloyd had sent explicit images and continued to send hundreds of messages, encouraging the minor to send sexual images in return.
The judge acknowledged the absence of a child in this case but condemned Lloyd's behavior.
As a result, Lloyd was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Additionally, his SHPO and notification requirements were extended indefinitely, serving as a constant reminder of the serious nature of his offenses.
The judge concluded by warning Lloyd that these restrictions would remain with him forever, underscoring the severity of his misconduct and the ongoing risk he poses.
