ANDREW RIGBY FROM MOULTON AND NORTHWICH FAILS IN APPEAL OVER CHILD SEX OFFENSES

In a case that has garnered significant attention, Andrew Rigby, a resident of Niddries Lane in Moulton, Northwich, faced a decisive legal setback when his appeal to overturn his conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in London. The original convictions stemmed from a series of disturbing allegations involving the sexual exploitation of minors and the possession of indecent images.

Back in February of the previous year, Rigby, aged 28 at the time, was convicted at Chester Crown Court on multiple serious charges. These included two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one count of grooming a young girl. Additionally, Rigby admitted to possessing and attempting to create indecent images of children, further compounding the severity of his crimes.

Rigby’s legal team challenged the validity of these convictions on the grounds that they were ‘unsafe,’ citing alleged inconsistencies in the testimony provided by a key witness during the trial. The appeal, heard on a Friday, aimed to cast doubt on the reliability of the evidence that led to his conviction. However, the judges overseeing the case—Mr. Justice Underhill, Mrs. Justice Dobbs, and Sir John Thomas—rejected these arguments outright. They described Rigby’s claims as lacking logical coherence and reaffirmed that the original verdicts were sound and justified.

The court proceedings revealed that Rigby had engaged in inappropriate communication with a 12-year-old girl, sending her text messages to arrange a clandestine meeting. When the girl reported the messages, police launched an investigation. During this inquiry, authorities uncovered further disturbing evidence, including Rigby’s simulation of sexual acts with a teenage boy. The investigation also revealed that Rigby had conducted internet searches for child pornography and stored indecent images on his computer.

In his appeal, Rigby argued that one of the witnesses at his trial had provided inconsistent testimony, which he claimed undermined their credibility and suggested that he was wrongly convicted of crimes he did not admit to. Nonetheless, the appellate judges found his reasoning flawed, emphasizing that the jury’s verdicts were based on a comprehensive assessment of the evidence and that Rigby’s arguments did not demonstrate any unsafe aspect of the convictions.

Ultimately, the Court of Appeal upheld the original convictions, reinforcing the seriousness of the crimes committed by Andrew Rigby in Northwich and Moulton, and underscoring the justice system’s stance on protecting children from exploitation and abuse.