WARREN HUGHES FROM PENTRE HALKYN CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN HOLYWELL
| Red Rose Database
Pentre Halkyn Child Sexual Abuser
In April 2017, a man from Pentre Halkyn, Warren Hughes, faced serious legal consequences after being found in possession of indecent images of children on his mobile phone. The case was brought to light through an undercover operation conducted by the Metropolitan Police’s predatory offender unit, which targeted television chat channels in an effort to identify individuals involved in such illegal activities.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Hughes, a 42-year-old motor mechanic residing on the Willowfield Estate in Pentre Halkyn near Holywell, had more than 20 indecent images stored on the memory card of his mobile device. These images were deemed highly inappropriate and illegal, prompting immediate legal action.
On the day of sentencing, District Judge Gwyn Jones presided over Hughes’ case at Flintshire Magistrates Court. Hughes was sentenced to a two-year community order, which included a requirement to undergo 60 days of rehabilitation. Additionally, he was subjected to a strict night-time curfew, which mandated that he remain indoors from 7 pm to 7 am for a period of 20 weeks, enforced through a tagged device.
Furthermore, Hughes was placed on the sex offender register for a duration of five years. The court also imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order, containing various restrictions designed to prevent further offending. Among these conditions was a prohibition on Hughes using any television dating channels, a measure aimed at reducing his access to potentially harmful content.
The judge emphasized the gravity with which the court viewed the possession of such images, stating that these materials are taken very seriously by the judiciary. However, he also acknowledged that Hughes may not have fully understood the severity of his actions, remarking that by engaging in this behavior, he was inadvertently supporting the illegal and harmful market for such images. The court noted that Hughes appeared unaware of the seriousness of his conduct.
Hughes was convicted after a trial, during which he admitted to receiving images on his phone. The investigation had been initiated after the police placed an advertisement posing as a single mother, claiming to be open-minded and seeking companionship. This advertisement attracted responses, including text messages from Hughes’ mobile phone. Based on the content of these messages, a warrant was executed at his home in November 2015.
During the search, Hughes admitted to receiving indecent images on his device. He explained that these images came about after engaging in text conversations with individuals he met through television dating channels. Hughes claimed he did not realize the nature of the images until he opened them, at which point he immediately deleted the files. He also stated that he subsequently deleted the contact numbers associated with those messages.
Despite his claims, the court was informed that 22 indecent images of children had been found on the memory card of his mobile phone. Hughes expressed confusion over the discovery, asserting that he intended to delete the images and did not mean to keep them. He denied charges of making and downloading Category A, B, and C images, but the court found sufficient evidence to convict him.
Magistrates concluded that the images were not unsolicited; rather, they believed the images had been saved intentionally, likely in response to the explicit content of his text conversations. The court emphasized that Hughes had actively stored these images, which indicated a level of engagement with the material rather than accidental receipt. Hughes was ordered to pay costs of £620 and an surcharge of £85 as part of his sentence.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Hughes, a 42-year-old motor mechanic residing on the Willowfield Estate in Pentre Halkyn near Holywell, had more than 20 indecent images stored on the memory card of his mobile device. These images were deemed highly inappropriate and illegal, prompting immediate legal action.
On the day of sentencing, District Judge Gwyn Jones presided over Hughes’ case at Flintshire Magistrates Court. Hughes was sentenced to a two-year community order, which included a requirement to undergo 60 days of rehabilitation. Additionally, he was subjected to a strict night-time curfew, which mandated that he remain indoors from 7 pm to 7 am for a period of 20 weeks, enforced through a tagged device.
Furthermore, Hughes was placed on the sex offender register for a duration of five years. The court also imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order, containing various restrictions designed to prevent further offending. Among these conditions was a prohibition on Hughes using any television dating channels, a measure aimed at reducing his access to potentially harmful content.
The judge emphasized the gravity with which the court viewed the possession of such images, stating that these materials are taken very seriously by the judiciary. However, he also acknowledged that Hughes may not have fully understood the severity of his actions, remarking that by engaging in this behavior, he was inadvertently supporting the illegal and harmful market for such images. The court noted that Hughes appeared unaware of the seriousness of his conduct.
Hughes was convicted after a trial, during which he admitted to receiving images on his phone. The investigation had been initiated after the police placed an advertisement posing as a single mother, claiming to be open-minded and seeking companionship. This advertisement attracted responses, including text messages from Hughes’ mobile phone. Based on the content of these messages, a warrant was executed at his home in November 2015.
During the search, Hughes admitted to receiving indecent images on his device. He explained that these images came about after engaging in text conversations with individuals he met through television dating channels. Hughes claimed he did not realize the nature of the images until he opened them, at which point he immediately deleted the files. He also stated that he subsequently deleted the contact numbers associated with those messages.
Despite his claims, the court was informed that 22 indecent images of children had been found on the memory card of his mobile phone. Hughes expressed confusion over the discovery, asserting that he intended to delete the images and did not mean to keep them. He denied charges of making and downloading Category A, B, and C images, but the court found sufficient evidence to convict him.
Magistrates concluded that the images were not unsolicited; rather, they believed the images had been saved intentionally, likely in response to the explicit content of his text conversations. The court emphasized that Hughes had actively stored these images, which indicated a level of engagement with the material rather than accidental receipt. Hughes was ordered to pay costs of £620 and an surcharge of £85 as part of his sentence.