JANOS BARBER AND SAMUEL CLARKE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CHIRK

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Chirk, two men have been convicted and sentenced for a series of heinous child sex offences. Janos Barber, aged 28 and residing at Church View, Chirk, Wrexham, received a prison term of eight years and ten months. His accomplice, Samuel Clarke, aged 30 and living on Chapel Lane, Chirk, was sentenced to six years and eight months behind bars.

The case was brought before Mold Crown Court, where both men pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to their criminal conduct. The court heard that Barber and Clarke, who lived together, had been caught up in disturbing thought patterns and paedophilic tendencies that they acted upon with reckless abandon. The severity of their crimes was underscored by the impact on their young victim, whose mother’s heartfelt victim impact statement was read aloud in court, describing her heartbreak and the profound damage inflicted upon her child.

Recorder Duncan Bould, presiding over the case, emphasized the gravity of the offences. He stated that the actions of Barber and Clarke had caused untold harm to the young victim and expressed his deep sympathy for the mother, whose words reflected the pain and suffering endured. The court was told that Barber had admitted to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual assault against a child, and two counts of committing a sexual act in the presence of a child. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and a voyeurism charge.

Samuel Clarke, on his part, admitted to three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and possession of indecent images. The police investigation was triggered after authorities received information from a social media platform indicating that videos involving children had been uploaded from a phone located in the defendants’ flat.

On June 1, police executed a search warrant at the property in Church View. During the search, officers discovered a USB stick containing videos and photographs depicting a boy involved in sexual acts, with both Barber and Clarke appearing in the footage. The investigation revealed that the flat contained an alarming collection of over 120,000 still images and videos of child abuse, including more than 1,000 classified as the most serious category, which involved the rape of a baby, according to prosecutor Mr. Simon Rogers.

Further disturbing evidence included Barber’s admission of recording videos of boys dressing and undressing at a swimming pool, with a hidden camera concealed inside a rucksack. Both men appeared via video link from HMP Berwyn Prison during the sentencing hearing, and both broke down emotionally as the proceedings unfolded.

The court was informed that Barber expressed remorse for the harm caused to his victim and the victim’s family. However, Recorder Duncan Bould made it clear that such depraved conduct would be met with universal condemnation. He stated, “We have heard the tortured words of the victim’s mother, and I have every sympathy for her.”

In addition to their prison sentences, both men were placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. The court also made it clear that neither Barber nor Clarke would ever be permitted to work with children again, reflecting the seriousness with which the justice system views their crimes.