GLYN THOMAS AND JUSTIN GROVES: SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENDER CASE IN BANGOR, GYFELIA, AND WREXHAM

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Bangor, Gyfelia, and Wrexham, two convicted sex offenders, Glyn Ronald Thomas and Justin Groves, were involved in running a toy and novelty shop that targeted vulnerable children. The shop, located in Bangor, was operated by the pair for approximately one year, during which children were reportedly lured with offers of sweets to spend time inside the establishment.

Glyn Thomas, aged 55, was recently sentenced to prison after being found guilty of breaching a sex offenders' order by working alone in a shop environment with children present. Despite his criminal history, Thomas’s business partner, Justin Groves, was not charged in connection with the store’s operations. Groves, who was removed from the sex offenders register last year, has a long history of sexual offenses involving minors.

Local families expressed their horror and outrage upon learning that children were offered sweets inside the shop, with reports indicating that Thomas even took a five-year-old girl to the toilet alone. Further breaches of Thomas’s sex offenders’ order were documented, including an incident where he rode a toboggan with a girl sitting between his legs, raising serious concerns about his conduct.

Thomas’s criminal history is extensive. He was first convicted in 1965 at the age of 15 for indecent assault on a girl under 15 years old and was placed on probation for two years. His criminal record includes a 2000 conviction for engaging in a sex act with six- and seven-year-old girls in a Wrexham toilet. Justin Groves also has a troubling past; in 2000, at the age of 24, he was placed on probation for three years after giving a 12-year-old boy vodka and a disc featuring an image of a naked man. Groves, formerly residing on Empress Road in Wrexham, was on the sex offenders register for five years before being removed last year.

In April of the previous year, Llangefni magistrates issued Thomas a new Sex Offenders Prevention Order (SOPO), which prohibited him from engaging in various activities involving children. However, the order was repeatedly breached. In November, a Bangor police officer observed Thomas alone in the shop with an 11-year-old boy. Mrs. Owen, a police spokesperson, stated: “Thomas claimed not to know the boy or his mother, but it soon became clear that he was well-acquainted with the family. Further investigation revealed that Thomas had befriended the parents of a five-year-old girl, including a young mother who was only 20 and facing financial difficulties. Thomas had become a trusted figure, often taking the young girl in his car to buy sweets.”

As a result of these breaches, Thomas was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He will also remain on the sex offenders register and under the SOPO indefinitely, highlighting the ongoing risks associated with his behavior. The case underscores the dangers posed by individuals with a history of sexual offenses, especially when they are involved in environments where children are present, and raises serious concerns about safeguarding and community safety in the Bangor, Gyfelia, and Wrexham areas.