GARY YOUNG FROM WIRRAL JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING UNDERAGE GIRLS IN WALES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Gary Young, a 47-year-old ice cream vendor from Livingstone Road, Leasowe, Wirral, has been sentenced to five years in prison for engaging in sexual activities with two underage girls he met at a village show in Wales. The court heard that Young’s actions have marked him as a significant danger to young girls, prompting the judge to impose strict measures to prevent any future offenses.

During the proceedings at Mold Crown Court, prosecutor Nicholas Williams detailed the circumstances leading to Young’s conviction. The victims, two girls aged 14 and 15, had been drinking wine prior to their arrival at the village event. They were seen sitting on chairs beside Young’s ice cream van when he singled them out as his targets. It was revealed that Young, who was 39 at the time, engaged in a series of manipulative and inappropriate behaviors, including questioning the girls about their innocence, offering them cigarettes, and purchasing bracelets for each of them. He also exchanged contact details with the girls, giving them his phone number and suggesting they meet again later.

According to the evidence presented, Young then took the girls in his ice cream van to a secluded wooded area where the sexual offenses occurred in August of the previous year. The court was told that the girls’ frantic parents later searched for them, but Young did not disclose that he had met the girls at the show or that he had taken them away in his van. The judge, Philip Hughes, emphasized the gravity of the case, extending Young’s license period by an additional three years, citing his classification as a dangerous offender. Furthermore, Young was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) to restrict his future activities.

Although Young had no prior sexual convictions, he had previously admitted to police during an earlier investigation that he was sexually attracted to two 15-year-old girls. Judge Hughes pointed out that Young’s behavior demonstrated a clear unhealthy interest in young girls. The judge highlighted that Young was aware the girls had been drinking alcohol, with one of them becoming physically sick, yet he exploited their vulnerability. His actions included asking intimate questions, giving gifts, providing his mobile number, and offering more alcohol to the girls.

Judge Hughes stated explicitly that Young was grooming the girls for sexual purposes. The court found that Young then drove the girls away in his ice cream van to a remote location where he believed he would not be disturbed, and there, he committed sexual assaults on both of them. The judge condemned Young’s conduct, saying, “You simply used the two girls, one after another, to satisfy your lust. You were old enough to be their father. Your position as an ice cream seller from a van gave you extra opportunity to contact young girls.”

In his defense, lawyer Zillah Williams acknowledged that the offenses were concerning but emphasized that the rape allegations had been dropped, which somewhat mitigated the severity of the case. Nonetheless, the court’s verdict reflects the serious nature of Young’s actions and the need to protect vulnerable minors from predatory behavior.