RICHARD TWINNING CAERNARFON AND BARRY YACHTING TEACHER JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN FELINHELI

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Caernarfon, Barry, and Felinheli, Richard Philip Twinning, aged 42, has been sentenced to prison for possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. Twinning, who held the position of senior yachting instructor and was a regional development officer for the Welsh Yachting Association, was found guilty of serious criminal offenses involving child exploitation.

His criminal activities came to light after his estranged wife, Valerie, discovered a laptop, discs, and other electronic storage devices in the attic of their home. At the time, Twinning was residing at Maes Barcer in Caernarfon. Upon reviewing the contents, Valerie was appalled to find hundreds of indecent images, which she promptly reported to the police. Her discovery led to a police investigation that uncovered the extent of Twinning’s illicit activities.

The investigation revealed that Twinning had been downloading child pornography on his work laptop while based at the Plas Menai National Watersports Centre in Felinheli, Gwynedd. He had been employed there for a decade, starting in 1996. The police also found that Twinning had taken photographs of a boy aged 11, whom he had taught to sail outside the North Wales area. The boy was not from North Wales, and the photographs were of an indecent nature, constituting a serious breach of trust and a grave violation of the boy’s privacy.

Further evidence showed that Twinning had downloaded additional images onto a computer at his home in Romally Avenue, Barry, South Wales. He was arrested at his residence in May of the previous year, where police seized his personal laptop, an external hard drive, and other materials. The authorities discovered a total of 1,744 images, including 176 downloaded images on his computer and 222 on the external hard drive. The material included photographs of children in bathing costumes, images focusing on genital areas of clothed children, and sexual cartoons involving minors. While some of these images were not illegal per se, they indicated a disturbing interest in child sex abuse.

During the police interview, Twinning denied any sexual gratification from the images. However, the evidence was overwhelming. Prosecutor Elen Owen stated that Twinning had downloaded and stored a vast quantity of indecent images, and the images of the boy he taught to sail were particularly egregious. The court was told that Twinning’s actions represented a serious breach of trust and caused significant harm to the victim and his family.

Judge Peter Rouch QC addressed Twinning directly during the sentencing, asserting, “I don’t accept that you didn’t obtain sexual gratification from the images involved in this case.” The judge emphasized the severity of the offenses, especially considering the photographs of the young boy, which demonstrated a clear violation of trust and innocence. Twinning’s conduct was deemed to warrant a custodial sentence.

As a result, Twinning was sentenced to four months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender with the police for a period of seven years. A lifetime Sexual Offences Prevention Order was also imposed, restricting him from approaching the victim, having any child in his home or vehicle unless supervised, and working with children in any capacity again. The judge highlighted that the level of the images was at least of the most serious category, and the aggravating circumstances involving the young boy justified the custodial sentence.

This case underscores the ongoing concerns about child exploitation and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable minors from predators, even those in positions of trust such as yachting instructors and community figures.