A 53-year-old man from Mynydd Isa has been sentenced for possessing indecent images of children, revealing a troubling pattern of behavior.
Mynydd Isa: Nicholas Devereux, a 53-year-old from Rose Lane, was in Wrexham Magistrates Court on Wednesday. He faced serious charges related to child images.
He admitted to making indecent images, including seven of the most serious kind and nearly 4,000 less severe ones. These offenses happened in Gwersyllt over a few years.
The police got a tip-off and started looking into him last year. They executed a search warrant at his home and seized several electronic devices.
During questioning, Devereux partially confessed to downloading images of young girls, saying he tried to resist the urge but felt disgusted by his actions.
Forensic analysis of his devices revealed a significant number of troubling images, mostly of girls aged eight to 14. There were also many more files that hinted at a concerning interest in children.
When confronted with the evidence, he admitted he knew it was wrong but claimed a voice urged him to do it. He also described himself as a “hoarder” when asked about transferring files to USB sticks.
His lawyer mentioned that he had lost his job due to these charges and was now focusing on his mental health. After a recent hospital stay, he started getting help from a charity.
The court handed him a nine-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, considering his previous good character. He’ll have to do 60 days of rehabilitation and 300 hours of community service.
Additionally, he received a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for the same duration. He also has to pay a victim surcharge and court costs.
