Welshpool Pride organiser jailed after vigilante paedophile sting
The BBC is reporting that Andrew Way, 61, of Clwyd Wen, Wrexham, admitted trying to engage in sexual communication with a child of 14 and had repeatedly breached a sexual harm prevention order.
Earlier this summer, we reported that an arrest was made in Welshpool Morrison’s Car Park following the sting where a vigilante group confronted Mr Way, who was said to be living in Welshpool at the time.
The court was told that vigilantes had set up a fake profile of a boy of 14 and Way claimed he was 27 when he got in touch. During the hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court, Way was jailed for 34 months.
MyWelshpool understands that the group had planned to confront Mr Way at his address in Wrexham, but when he wasn’t there, they called him and he agreed to meet them at a public area in Welshpool, where he was the lead organiser of the Pride event that was planned for July, but cancelled.
What the BBC is reporting:
Prosecutor Laura Knightly said Way had a sexual harm prevention order from 2007 but he had unsupervised contact with young children, a two-year-old’s mother being unaware of the order.
Dafydd Roberts, defending, said Way was having health problems and understood the sentence would be immediate imprisonment.
Judge Niclas Parry said Way had “utter disregard” for court orders.
“These were serious and persistent and different breaches,” the judge said.
A fresh sexual harm prevention order was also made.
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