OWEN TAYLOR FROM DWYGYFYLCHI CAUGHT IN CHILD SEX CHAT ON ONLINE GAME NEAR DWYGYFYLCHI

In August 2023, Owen Taylor, a 36-year-old man from Pendyfryn Farm, Dwygyfylchi, Wales, became the focus of a serious criminal investigation after attempting to engage in a sexual conversation with an eight-year-old girl through an online gaming platform. The incident unfolded when Taylor, under the guise of a teenage user with a false username, approached the young girl who was playing the popular game Movie Star Planet on her tablet.

According to court proceedings, Taylor's actions were deliberate and calculated. He sent inappropriate images of his body and engaged in flirtatious dialogue, calling the girl “cute” and trying to continue the conversation across multiple online sites. The Newcastle Crown Court heard that Taylor, who was 36 at the time, was actively seeking to develop a sexualized relationship with the child.

It was the girl’s mother who first detected the suspicious activity. Upon discovering the messages, she swiftly took action by changing her daughter’s profile details to allow her to continue playing under a different name, hoping to prevent further contact. Despite this precaution, Taylor managed to reach out again days later, prompting the mother to step in once more. She then pretended to be her daughter in order to gather more information about Taylor’s intentions before ultimately contacting law enforcement authorities.

At the time of the court hearing, Taylor was 40 years old and residing at Pendyfryn Farm in Dwygyfylchi. His criminal record included a previous caution in 2011 for outraging public decency, specifically for “upskirting” a teenage girl in a shop. This history underscored the pattern of concerning behavior.

The impact on the young girl and her family was profound. Her mother expressed that the entire family’s lives had been irrevocably altered by the ordeal. She described feeling “sick to the stomach” upon discovering the nature of Taylor’s messages, especially given her belief that the gaming platform was safe for children of that age.

Judge Timothy Gittins sentenced Owen Taylor to eight months in prison. During the sentencing, the judge emphasized the gravity of Taylor’s actions, stating, “You targeted a website called Movie Star Planet which was clearly aimed at young children under the age of 13. In any event, you knew that clearly she was of such a young age from her profile picture. You engaged with her in chats that you deliberately intended to develop not only in a sexualized conversation but also images of a sexual nature being exchanged.”

The court also highlighted Taylor’s attempt to lure the girl away from the gaming app onto Snapchat, a messaging service that allows for easier deletion of conversations, in an effort to conceal his activities. The mother’s quick thinking in taking over her daughter’s account and engaging with Taylor was instrumental in gathering evidence against him. The judge noted, “You continued to engage in flirtatious conversation with who you thought was an eight-year-old child and sent further images of yourself and requested images from her.”

Investigative work carried out by the girl’s parents ultimately led to Taylor’s arrest. As part of his sentence, Taylor will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years, restricting his ability to access certain online platforms and contact minors. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in online spaces and the importance of vigilance by parents and guardians to protect children from exploitation and harm.