WILLIAM WRIGHT AND CONNOR HAYES SENTENCED IN BOURNEMOUTH FOR TEEN INTERNET SEX VIDEO CRIME

In April 2017, a disturbing case involving the exploitation and illegal distribution of a sexual video featuring a teenage girl culminated in the sentencing of two men at Bournemouth Crown Court. William Wright, aged 24, residing on Andover Green in Bovington, and Connor Hayes, also aged 24, from Namu Road in Bournemouth, were both found guilty and subsequently sentenced to serve time in prison for their roles in this serious criminal activity.

Authorities used the occasion of their sentencing to issue a stark warning to victims of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), emphasizing the importance of reporting such offences to the police. Detectives revealed that both Wright and Hayes took advantage of the girl’s vulnerability, engaging her in sexual acts and recording these acts without her full understanding or consent.

Although the girl was legally over the age of consent, she was still under 18 at the time, which rendered the creation, possession, or distribution of indecent images of her illegal under UK law. Wright admitted to multiple charges, including taking an indecent moving image of a child, intentionally obtaining sexual services from a minor, distributing such images, and creating indecent images of a child. Hayes pleaded guilty to similar charges, including taking an indecent moving image, possessing indecent images, and paying for sexual services involving a minor.

Both men received a sentence of two years imprisonment. Additionally, they were issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will remain in effect for five years, restricting their future conduct and contact with minors.

The court proceedings detailed that Hayes had established a relationship with the victim in 2014. While the girl was over the age of consent, she was still under 18, which made it illegal to produce or possess indecent images of her. In November of that year, Hayes coerced the girl into participating in a sexual video with Wright, claiming that the footage was for their private use and would not be shared publicly. He warned her that if the video were to be leaked, he would be in trouble because of her age.

Following the recording, the victim asked Hayes and Wright to delete the video, but it was later discovered that the footage had been uploaded online around November 2015. The police acted swiftly, arresting both men at their respective homes on December 15, 2015. During the investigation, multiple electronic devices, including computers and phones, were seized for examination.

Analysis of Wright’s iPhone revealed ten video clips and 27 still images of the victim, all of an indecent nature. Similarly, Hayes’s laptop contained 18 indecent images of the girl. The charges against the pair were formally brought on May 3, 2016, marking a significant step in addressing their criminal conduct and protecting potential future victims.