ANDREW WAY CAUGHT IN WREXHAM AND WELSHPOOL PAEDOPHILE HUNTING STING

In a serious development in the ongoing fight against online child exploitation, Andrew Way, a resident of Wrexham, was apprehended following a covert operation conducted by paedophile hunters. The incident unfolded after Way, who is known publicly as a drag artist under the stage name 'Miss Gin,' was caught attempting to engage in inappropriate sexual communications with what he believed was a 14-year-old boy. The court proceedings took place at Caernarfon Crown Court, where Way appeared to face multiple serious charges.

According to court records, Way, who hails from Clwyd Wen in Wrexham, admitted to attempting to communicate sexually with a minor and also to breaching a previously imposed sexual harm prevention order. His appearance in court was marked by the gravity of the allegations, which stemmed from an incident reported by a paedophile hunter group in July 2023. The group had been monitoring Way’s online activity, which they believed involved a minor, and had set up a decoy profile to catch predators.

The decoy profile explicitly stated the age of the supposed child as 14, aiming to prevent any ambiguity. Despite this, Way initially lied about his own age, claiming to be 27, when he was in fact in his sixties. The court heard that Way, a veteran drag artist with over 40 years of experience, engaged in a series of highly sexualized and explicit messages through various online platforms, including Snapchat and WhatsApp. These messages included suggestive language and images, with evidence indicating that Way had sent explicit images of his genitals to the decoy.

At one point, Way suggested meeting the decoy in person to carry out sexual activity, further escalating the seriousness of his intentions. The online group behind the decoy had organized a sting operation at Way’s residence in Wrexham, but upon learning he was in Welshpool, they contacted him by phone. Surprisingly, Way agreed to meet the decoy in a public place, which led to police intervention. When the police arrived, Way was arrested on the spot.

It was revealed that Way was already subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, a consequence of a previous conviction in Bristol in November 2007. His prior breaches included failing to notify authorities of his new address in Welshpool, registering on Facebook under a false name, 'James Bush,' and having unsupervised contact with children on two separate occasions. The court also noted that Way had previously been caught engaging in online chats with a decoy posing as a child.

The judge sentenced Way to 34 months in prison for all charges. Additionally, he was warned that any future breaches of his sexual harm prevention order would result in a lengthy prison sentence, emphasizing the court’s stance on protecting minors from potential harm. The case highlights the ongoing risks posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant law enforcement and community efforts to safeguard vulnerable children from exploitation.