DELEAH POULTON FROM RHYL SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF UNDERAGE BOY IN RHYL

In a case that has shocked the community of Rhyl, a young woman named Deleah Poulton has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of engaging in a series of sexual activities with a minor. The incident involved Poulton, who was 17 and 18 years old at the time, having sexual encounters with a boy who was only 13 or 14 years old. Over a period of approximately 15 months, the defendant and the victim reportedly engaged in sexual acts around 70 times, according to court estimates.

Deleah Poulton, a resident of Eastville Avenue in Rhyl, admitted to five charges related to sexual activity with a child, which included acts of intercourse and oral sex. The court heard that Poulton was a vulnerable individual, described as someone who had been feeling sad for as long as she could remember. During the sentencing hearing, she was visibly emotional, weeping as she was sentenced to 16 months in a youth offender’s institution.

Judge Niclas Parry addressed the court and emphasized that societal perceptions often tend to diminish the seriousness of such offences when the offender is female and the victim is male. He clarified that the law does not make any such distinctions, underscoring the gravity of Poulton’s actions. The court was informed that the sexual activity was extremely frequent, with the victim estimating that it occurred approximately 70 times. The encounters sometimes took place after alcohol was purchased and consumed by both parties, although the judge noted that alcohol was not used as a means of coercion.

While the offences were serious, the judge pointed out that there was no violence, threats, or coercion involved, and the victim was described as willing and compliant throughout the encounters. Judge Parry highlighted that the law’s primary purpose is to protect young children from harm, including from their own actions, and that Poulton’s actions demonstrated a lack of regard for the young boy’s welfare. Her personal gratification appeared to be the primary motivation, rather than concern for the victim’s well-being.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Parry described Poulton as a naive young woman with no previous criminal record, who lacked social skills and was somewhat of a sad individual. As part of her sentence, she will be required to register as a sex offender with the police for a period of ten years. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was issued, prohibiting her from having any unsupervised contact with boys under the age of 16 for the next decade.

Prosecutor Michael Whitty stated that the victim is now attempting to move forward with his life. It was revealed that last year, the boy confided in his mother about the sexual relationship, which had taken place at various locations including his home, Poulton’s residence, and outdoors. Authorities also found explicit text messages on Poulton’s phone. In a victim impact statement, the boy expressed a range of emotional responses to the events, highlighting the profound effect the experience has had on him.