GLYN VINEY FROM NEWPORT JAILED FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING MINORS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

A Newport man, Glyn Viney, who exploited his role working in a library to access a child's contact details and incited her to engage in sexual activities, has been sentenced to prison. Viney, of Barton Road, appeared before Isle of Wight Crown Court on Thursday. During a previous hearing on March 1, he admitted to three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as engaging in sexual communication with a child and making indecent images of a child. These offences occurred between December 1, 2018, and August 24, 2019. Prosecutor Daniel Sawyer explained that Viney's primary victim was a 15-year-old girl he first noticed at the library where he was employed. He accessed her contact details through library records and initiated contact via email, impersonating a 16-year-old boy named Gary Barlow. Mr. Sawyer stated that the conversations quickly turned sexual, with Viney requesting sexual images and for her to perform sexual acts on herself. The victim reported these incidents to her foster carer, who then contacted the police. Viney was arrested on August 30, 2019, and his phone was seized, revealing a Snapchat account and a screen recorder app called Mobizen. The messages consisted of demands for videos, and there was a clear imbalance of power in the interactions. The court was told that there was also mention of sexual gratification linked to the victim being in pain. It was revealed that the victim had confided her vulnerabilities to Viney. Additionally, it was noted that the phone contained conversations with other individuals, involving attempts to incite them to sexual acts; however, these other victims could not be traced or confirmed as the young girls they purported to be, with profiles suggesting one was in Year 7 and another around 13 years old. During police interviews, Viney admitted to having at least two Snapchat accounts and pretending to be 16. He explained he was experiencing a mental breakdown at the time, which the judge, Recorder Anna Midgley, noted as indicative of his shame. Defense solicitor David Richards described Viney as someone who had a productive life before these offences, expressing that he had no intention of repeating such behaviour and was unsure of what drove him to it. Mr. Richards added that Viney was overwhelmed by personal issues, including work pressure, an unwell mother, and dissatisfaction in his relationships with peers. He mentioned that Viney eventually confessed to being a married man and that he was aware of his impending imprisonment, not seeing himself as a victim. Viney, with no prior convictions, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. He will be on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely and subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £181.