DARREN FOSTER FROM HOLYWELL AND SCARBOROUGH JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING UNDER-AGE GIRLS

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Holywell and Scarborough, Darren Foster, a 23-year-old man with a troubling history of inappropriate interest in young girls, has been sentenced to prison for engaging in sexual activities with a minor and possessing indecent images of children.

Foster, who was residing at the Llys Emlyn Williams hostel in Holywell at the time of the offences, was found to have had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Court proceedings at Mold Crown Court revealed that Foster kept explicit photographs of the girl, including one of her topless and another of her performing a sex act with him. These images were used as evidence to demonstrate the nature of their relationship, which was initiated when the girl was just 15 years old.

According to the court, after their relationship ended, Foster continued his inappropriate pursuits by reaching out to two other young girls through Facebook. He sent them sexually explicit messages, further illustrating his unhealthy fixation on under-age girls. The court heard that Foster had admitted to possessing indecent images of a child and engaging in sexual activity with a minor. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and was subject to a sexual offences prevention order that will remain in effect for the same period.

Judge Niclas Parry addressed Foster directly, stating, “You clearly have an unhealthy interest in sexual activity with under-aged girls.” The judge emphasized that the evidence pointed to a pattern of grooming behavior, with Foster actively seeking out young girls on social media platforms. The first victim, who was 15, had made it clear she wished to engage in sexual encounters with Foster, and she had initiated their interactions. Despite her consent, the relationship resulted in intercourse, which the court deemed illegal and harmful.

Judge Parry explained that one of the primary purposes of legislation in such cases is to protect vulnerable young girls from themselves and from predators like Foster. The court was shown images of the girl topless and performing a sex act on Foster, which he had kept as evidence of their relationship. The situation was further aggravated when, after the first relationship ended, Foster contacted another 15-year-old girl, asking her to send nude photographs of herself. Although they never met in person, it was evident that she had exchanged explicit images with others prior to communicating with Foster on Facebook.

The court acknowledged that Foster’s interactions with these young girls demonstrated a disturbing attraction to minors. However, the judge also noted that Foster was an immature young man, with no evidence of threats or coercion involved in the relationships. Foster’s defense lawyer, Myles Wilson, argued that the sexual encounters with the 15-year-old girl were initiated by her and that Foster had not exerted any pressure. Wilson highlighted that some messages exchanged were affectionate rather than purely sexual and suggested that, without the possession of indecent images, a community order might have sufficed.

Prosecutor Andrew Green recounted that Foster first attracted police attention in March of the previous year when officers observed him in the company of a 15-year-old girl in the early hours of the morning. The police learned that they had met on Facebook five weeks earlier, and although they claimed to be just friends, concerns arose when the police found sexually explicit messages exchanged between them. Further investigations revealed that Foster had previously been under suspicion in 2009 and 2012 for associating with young girls, although no charges were filed at those times.

In the recent case, the police discovered that Foster had sent indecent images of himself to a young girl and had received similar photographs from her. The girl had accepted his Facebook friend request, and their conversations grew increasingly explicit over time. Another girl confirmed that she had engaged in sexual activity with Foster, who had told her he would wait until she turned 16, but she had initiated their sexual encounters.

Foster’s defense lawyer, Myles Wilson, emphasized that his client had no previous convictions and was suffering from depression since the age of 14, which included episodes of self-harm. Wilson argued that Foster was a vulnerable individual who would find imprisonment particularly difficult and that his behavior was more characteristic of a teenager than a 23-year-old man. He suggested that, had it not been for the possession of indecent images, a lesser sentence such as a community order might have been appropriate, especially considering Foster’s mental health struggles.

Ultimately, the court sentenced Foster to 18 months in prison, underscoring the seriousness of his actions and the need to protect young girls from predators like him. The judge made it clear that the sentence was also a message to the public that such behavior would not be tolerated and that the law is in place to safeguard vulnerable minors from exploitation and harm.