WAYNE CLARKE JAILED IN RUTHIN FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND OFFENCES
| Red Rose Database
Ruthin Child Sexual Abuser
In August 2010, Wayne Clarke, a known sex offender, was sentenced to a three-year prison term after police successfully located him at a flat in Ruthin, North Wales. The arrest marked the culmination of an extensive investigation into his activities, which included possession of indecent images of children and related offences.
Clarke, aged 33, had previously been banned from owning any equipment capable of accessing the internet due to his criminal history. Despite these restrictions, he rented a flat at Wern Fechan in Ruthin, where he posed as a businessman to conceal his true identity. To evade detection further, he registered his vehicle under a false name, attempting to avoid police cameras when crossing the border from Nottingham.
His covert activities were uncovered when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his Ruthin residence. During the raid, they discovered a laptop computer, a memory stick, and two BlackBerry phones. A detailed examination of these devices revealed a disturbing collection of 252 indecent images of children and 48 videos depicting similar material. The images and videos were considered highly distressing and indicated a serious breach of his previous court orders.
At Mold Crown Court, Judge Dafydd Hughes sentenced Clarke to three years in prison and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders' register for life. Additionally, he issued a new Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) aimed at restricting Clarke’s future conduct and preventing further offences. Clarke pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including failing to notify police of his new address in Ruthin, breaching his previous SOPO, possessing cocaine, and making 15 indecent images of children. He also admitted to distributing one of the images, a charge that the judge noted elevated the severity of his case.
Judge Hughes highlighted that Clarke had previously been subject to an SOPO in 2006 but had breached it twice before. The court’s assessment classified him as being at a high risk of re-offending. The judge expressed concern over Clarke’s apparent lack of understanding regarding the gravity of his actions, stating, “You really do not understand the seriousness of what you have done.” He emphasized that each individual who views such images fuels demand, which in turn perpetuates abuse and endangers children.
During the sentencing, Judge Hughes recounted his own distressing experience of viewing some of the images on a police officer’s laptop, describing them as “distressing to look at.”
Prosecutor Andrew McInnes explained that Clarke had rented a room in Ruthin for six months, during which he posed as a businessman. His arrest occurred on December 10 when he visited Corbetts, a local bookmaker in Ruthin. During this encounter, he provided false personal details, and police recovered an Apple iPhone from him. A subsequent search of his room uncovered a computer, a memory stick, two BlackBerry phones, and an Xbox gaming console.
Clarke admitted that he was aware of his problematic behavior, explaining that he often downloaded the images when intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. He claimed that he could not recall doing so and insisted that he deleted the images when sober. Police also found evidence that he had sent approximately 100 text messages to a woman, the mother of a young girl, whom he had met through an internet dating site. Authorities expressed concern that some messages appeared to encourage the commission of a sexual offence.
Further investigation revealed that Clarke had sent her an image of a female child engaged in a sexual act with an adult male. The woman’s phone was seized, and the image was still present on her device. Clarke did not comment on this particular matter but acknowledged ongoing contact with the woman, denying any involvement with her daughter.
In mitigation, defense attorney Gwyn Jones stated that Clarke had been in custody since December and that delays in analyzing his electronic devices had occurred. Jones emphasized Clarke’s full cooperation with authorities and argued that the images were for personal use only, with only one image being distributed. He also noted that Clarke had participated in a course to address his addiction to pornography and drugs while in prison. The lawyer added that Clarke planned to return to Nottingham upon his release, seeking to rebuild his life away from his criminal past.
Clarke, aged 33, had previously been banned from owning any equipment capable of accessing the internet due to his criminal history. Despite these restrictions, he rented a flat at Wern Fechan in Ruthin, where he posed as a businessman to conceal his true identity. To evade detection further, he registered his vehicle under a false name, attempting to avoid police cameras when crossing the border from Nottingham.
His covert activities were uncovered when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his Ruthin residence. During the raid, they discovered a laptop computer, a memory stick, and two BlackBerry phones. A detailed examination of these devices revealed a disturbing collection of 252 indecent images of children and 48 videos depicting similar material. The images and videos were considered highly distressing and indicated a serious breach of his previous court orders.
At Mold Crown Court, Judge Dafydd Hughes sentenced Clarke to three years in prison and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders' register for life. Additionally, he issued a new Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) aimed at restricting Clarke’s future conduct and preventing further offences. Clarke pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including failing to notify police of his new address in Ruthin, breaching his previous SOPO, possessing cocaine, and making 15 indecent images of children. He also admitted to distributing one of the images, a charge that the judge noted elevated the severity of his case.
Judge Hughes highlighted that Clarke had previously been subject to an SOPO in 2006 but had breached it twice before. The court’s assessment classified him as being at a high risk of re-offending. The judge expressed concern over Clarke’s apparent lack of understanding regarding the gravity of his actions, stating, “You really do not understand the seriousness of what you have done.” He emphasized that each individual who views such images fuels demand, which in turn perpetuates abuse and endangers children.
During the sentencing, Judge Hughes recounted his own distressing experience of viewing some of the images on a police officer’s laptop, describing them as “distressing to look at.”
Prosecutor Andrew McInnes explained that Clarke had rented a room in Ruthin for six months, during which he posed as a businessman. His arrest occurred on December 10 when he visited Corbetts, a local bookmaker in Ruthin. During this encounter, he provided false personal details, and police recovered an Apple iPhone from him. A subsequent search of his room uncovered a computer, a memory stick, two BlackBerry phones, and an Xbox gaming console.
Clarke admitted that he was aware of his problematic behavior, explaining that he often downloaded the images when intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. He claimed that he could not recall doing so and insisted that he deleted the images when sober. Police also found evidence that he had sent approximately 100 text messages to a woman, the mother of a young girl, whom he had met through an internet dating site. Authorities expressed concern that some messages appeared to encourage the commission of a sexual offence.
Further investigation revealed that Clarke had sent her an image of a female child engaged in a sexual act with an adult male. The woman’s phone was seized, and the image was still present on her device. Clarke did not comment on this particular matter but acknowledged ongoing contact with the woman, denying any involvement with her daughter.
In mitigation, defense attorney Gwyn Jones stated that Clarke had been in custody since December and that delays in analyzing his electronic devices had occurred. Jones emphasized Clarke’s full cooperation with authorities and argued that the images were for personal use only, with only one image being distributed. He also noted that Clarke had participated in a course to address his addiction to pornography and drugs while in prison. The lawyer added that Clarke planned to return to Nottingham upon his release, seeking to rebuild his life away from his criminal past.