DAVID “LEIGHTON” REES FROM PENYGROES AND SWANSEA SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING TEENAGE GIRL

In March 2012, a 24-year-old man from Penygroes, named David “Leighton” Rees, was involved in a case that drew significant attention from local authorities and the community. Rees appeared before Swansea Crown Court in the following year to face charges related to his inappropriate conduct with a teenage girl. The court proceedings culminated in Rees admitting to engaging in sexual activity with the minor, which led to a sentence of a three-year community order.

Rees was residing in Penygroes at the time of the incident, which took place in March 2012. The charges against him included two counts of sexual activity with a child. The court heard that the sexual activity involved the touching of the girl’s breasts outside her clothing, an act that was deemed illegal and highly concerning.

Prosecutor Tom Scapens provided details about how the case came to light. The victim’s mother discovered the situation after her other daughter received a mobile phone message showing her sister and Rees sharing a kiss. Concerned about the nature of the message, the mother took the phone away from her daughter. She explained to the court that earlier that day, she had been told her daughter might be in a relationship with Rees, but she initially dismissed it as a joke. However, upon seeing the message, her concern grew.

Following this discovery, the mother contacted the police, who then interviewed both her and her daughter. The mother revealed that she had previously noticed some contact between her daughter and Rees but had warned him to stay away after he made a joke suggesting they would make a good couple, despite both being described as vain. The relationship between the girl and Rees deepened through social media, as they became friends on Facebook. Rees later asked for her mobile number, and they began exchanging text messages.

Some of these messages indicated Rees’s awareness of her age and his attempts to avoid detection. For example, he asked her to stay over at his place, saying, “If you’re not ready I understand,” and advised her to delete messages to avoid being caught, saying, “Let’s not get seen, always delete text messages.” The court found these messages to be clear evidence of Rees’s knowledge of her youth and his efforts to conceal their communication.

Rees and the girl met at a park on two separate occasions. During their second meeting, they shared a kiss, and Rees touched her breast over her clothing twice. The girl asked him to stop, which he did, according to court records. During the proceedings, Rees’s legal representative, Janet Gedrych, expressed remorse, stating that the experience had been profoundly affecting for him. She emphasized that Rees had moved from Penygroes to Bryn Park, Morriston, Swansea, and had no contact with anyone from his previous village. She also noted that he was now in a relationship with a partner of his own age.

Ultimately, Recorder Christopher Clee QC sentenced Rees to a three-year community order, which includes supervision and assessment by the probation service to determine his suitability for a sexual offenders’ group program. Additionally, Rees will be required to register as a sex offender for five years and pay a victim surcharge of £60. The case highlights ongoing concerns about safeguarding minors and the importance of vigilance within communities to prevent such incidents from occurring.