ANDREW YATES FROM BONTNEWYDD SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL MESSAGE CRIMES IN CAERNARFON

In April 2022, a disturbing case unfolded involving Andrew Yates, a 61-year-old man from Sycharth, Bontnewydd, Caernarfon, who became the subject of a serious criminal investigation after attempting to engage in inappropriate online communications with what he believed was a young girl.

Yates had initiated contact with the supposed minor through social media platforms, initially via Kik and later through WhatsApp. Unbeknownst to him, the profile he was communicating with was created by authorities as part of an undercover operation. The woman behind the profile had set up a fictitious online persona, claiming to be a 14-year-old girl named Sophie, in October 2020. The defendant contacted her using the username RabbitBox123 and introduced himself as Andy.

During their exchanges, Yates allegedly sent explicit instructions for sexual acts, along with an intimate image of himself and a photograph of his vehicle, which included the vehicle's number plate. The conversation took a further disturbing turn when Yates suggested a physical meeting, mentioning that the girl had an aunt on Anglesey. This indicated his intent to meet in person, although the girl later blocked him and reported the messages to the police.

Following the report, authorities in West Yorkshire Police coordinated with North Wales Police. A search warrant was executed at Yates' residence in Bontnewydd, where law enforcement officers seized a mobile phone, a computer tower, and an Acer laptop for forensic analysis.

Further investigations revealed that Yates had attempted to contact two other individuals who might have been decoys, as they could not be traced. His defense, represented by Jade Tufail, argued that there was a different side to Yates, highlighting his past as a British Red Cross delivery driver and his desire to rebuild a constructive life.

However, the court, presided over by His Honour Deputy Circuit Judge David Hale, was clear in its judgment. The judge expressed disbelief at Yates' actions, especially given his age, and emphasized the seriousness of such conduct. He stated, "Why you at the age of 60 or thereabouts felt the need to go online and chat in a sexual way with someone you thought was 14 or 15 I cannot imagine. But you did it for a sexual motive. It gave you sexual pleasure. You must realize that this sort of conduct is serious and cannot be allowed."

The judge also warned about the dangers of online interactions, noting that some individuals may be predators or even genuine children in distress, who do not expect to be contacted by someone of Yates' age. As a result, Yates was sentenced to 20 months in prison for the main charge of attempting or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, he received concurrent sentences of 16 months each for three other related charges, including attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to cause a child to view sexual images.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online grooming and protect minors from exploitation, highlighting the importance of vigilance and the consequences of such criminal behavior.