DAVE RICHARDS FROM CEFN MAWR JAILED FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGE OFFENCES IN WREXHAM

In a significant case that has shocked the local community of Cefn Mawr and the wider Wrexham area, retired Army Sergeant Major Dave Richards has been sentenced to prison following a series of disturbing offences involving indecent images of children. The proceedings took place at Mold Crown Court, where Richards, aged 63 and residing on High Street in Cefn Mawr, faced the consequences of his actions.

Richards was convicted earlier this year of creating and possessing indecent images of minors across various categories—A, B, and C—over a span of twelve years. The case was brought to light after the National Crime Agency (NCA) became aware of a social media account linked to Richards that had uploaded an indecent image to the internet. This discovery prompted a police investigation that ultimately uncovered a disturbing collection of illicit material stored on his devices.

When police officers arrived at Richards' home in April of the previous year, he cooperated initially by directing them to a laptop located in his living room. However, he also pointed out another device that he had deliberately smashed and discarded in a bin bag in his basement, indicating an attempt to conceal evidence. Authorities seized three laptops in total, all of which contained internet activity related to child sexual abuse material, including images and videos.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Rhys Rowlands described the extent of the material found on Richards' devices. The judge noted that the sheer volume of images was so overwhelming that the police had to cease categorizing them. Among the categorized images, there were 242 still images and 26 videos classified as Category A, which is the most severe level of indecency. Category B included 215 still images and 10 videos, while Category C comprised 721 still images and eight videos. In addition to these, over 110,000 other images were present but not fully examined; however, a sample of these contained sexual activity involving minors.

Judge Rowlands condemned Richards' actions as