PERIS GRIFFITHS FROM LLANFAIRFECHAN SENTENCED INCREASED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN WALES

In March 2017, the case of Peris Griffiths, a resident of Llanfairfechan, drew significant attention due to the severity of his crimes involving child sexual abuse. The senior judiciary intervened to increase his original sentence after it was deemed insufficient to reflect the gravity of his offenses.

Griffiths, aged 45, was initially sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court to 12 years in prison, accompanied by a four-year extended license period. This sentence followed his admission to a series of heinous crimes, including nine counts of rape, sexual assault, and the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The court heard that Griffiths had engaged in a disturbing campaign of sexual abuse against a young girl, which caused her profound psychological trauma and effectively 'destroyed her life,' as stated by Lady Justice Rafferty during the appeal.

The court was informed that Griffiths not only committed these acts but also shared explicit photographs of his misconduct online with other individuals who shared his depraved interests. Evidence revealed that he actively communicated with fellow paedophiles, both within the UK and internationally, providing advice on how to encourage children into sexual activities and evade detection. The court also learned that Griffiths traded in indecent images and had an encrypted hard drive, which was sent to London for further investigation after he refused to disclose a password.

Lady Justice Rafferty, sitting alongside Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb and Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC, emphasized the impact of Griffiths' actions on his victim, describing the abuse as involving degradation and humiliation. She acknowledged that Griffiths showed some remorse and had no prior convictions, but also pointed out his limited insight into the severity of his crimes, citing his statement to a probation officer: 'I've had my fun but I'm not intending to do it again.'

Despite the horrific nature of his offenses, the court decided against imposing a life sentence. Instead, the judges increased Griffiths' prison term from 12 to 16 years, ruling that his original punishment was inadequate to reflect the seriousness of his crimes. Additionally, his extended license period was doubled to eight years, during which he will be subject to strict monitoring after his release.

The charges against Griffiths included 26 counts, such as raping a child, sexual assault, inciting sexual activity, and possessing and distributing indecent images, with some images classified as the most severe category. The court heard that Griffiths had engaged in online communications with other paedophiles, exchanging images and tactics aimed at avoiding detection. His actions spanned from March 2009 to September of the previous year, when he was finally arrested.

In a separate hearing in November 2016, Griffiths admitted to multiple child sex offenses, including nine counts of rape, nine of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and other related charges. He appeared via videolink from prison, visibly emotional, and pleaded guilty to 28 charges in total. The court also learned that he possessed a large number of indecent images, totaling 879, with 155 classified as the highest category of severity. His defense requested an adjournment for report preparation, and sentencing was scheduled for December 16. Griffiths was remanded in custody, with no bail granted.