CALLUM ROBERTS AND SHOCKING SEX OFFENDER INCIDENT IN BANGOR
Callum Roberts, a 23-year-old sex offender from Bangor, found himself once again at the center of serious legal trouble after engaging in a pattern of reckless and illegal online behavior that violated court orders designed to protect minors.Despite being under strict restrictions, Roberts managed to send over 300 WhatsApp messages to underage girls and delete 500 visits to websites containing sexual content, actions that are prohibited by his court-mandated Sexual Offence Prevention Order.
The incident came to light during a court hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court, where prosecutors detailed Roberts's breach of his release conditions.
The court proceedings revealed that Roberts had previously been convicted at Swansea Crown Court in 2018 of grave offenses, including engaging in sexual activity with a child and encouraging another minor to partake in sexual acts.
He received a four-year prison sentence and was ordered to be placed on the sex offender register for life.
Following his release, Roberts was explicitly banned from contacting girls under 18 unless specific court-approved conditions were met.
Moreover, he was legally barred from deleting or tampering with his internet history to prevent authorities from tracking his online activity.
However, the evidence presented demonstrated that Roberts blatantly disregarded these restrictions.
On June 9 last year, Roberts purchased a new iPhone 7, an act that raised suspicion when police learned about it during a routine visit to his residence in Ffordd Llandygai, Llandygai near Bangor.
Law enforcement officers seized the device, which Roberts had bought shortly after his release, and they subsequently reminded him of his continuing obligations under the court order.
Despite this warning, just days after the police visit, investigations uncovered troubling evidence.
A few days later, police conducted a detailed review of Roberts's phone, which revealed that he had exchanged at least 310 WhatsApp messages with underage girls, including one involving a 13-year-old girl.
The messages also included phone calls, with one lasting as long as 15 minutes.
The authorities further discovered that Roberts had made a total of 557 visits to websites—almost all containing sexual material—and took the step of deleting these search histories, attempting to conceal his online activities from investigators.
During the court session, the defense attorney, Peter Donnison, acknowledged the seriousness of Roberts’s actions but emphasized his youth and the context of his previous offenses, which were committed when he was just 19.
Donnison also highlighted Roberts’s personal circumstances, noting that he had recently lost his brother and expressed hope for rehabilitation.
He pointed out that Roberts had been unable to participate in the Horizon rehabilitation programme during his time in custody but had plans to pursue carpentry work once released, demonstrating his desire to reintegrate and rebuild his life.
However, the presiding judge, His Honour Timothy Petts, made it clear that the scale and blatant nature of Roberts's breaches warranted a custodial sentence.
Given the severity of his violations and the risk posed to the safety of minors, the court decided on a 20-month jail term for each count of breaching the sexual harm prevention order, to be served concurrently, underscoring the gravity of the case and the importance of protecting vulnerable children from repeat offenders.
