LUKE GILLARD FROM FLINT SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING YOUNG GIRL IN MOLD
A man identified as Luke Gillard has been sentenced to prison after engaging in sexual activities with a young girl, having deliberately misrepresented his age to her.The incident took place in Flint, and the case was heard at Mold Crown Court.
Gillard, aged 20, appeared via video link from HMP Berwyn for his sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual activity with a child.
The court was informed that Gillard's actions involved not only sexual contact but also sexual touching of the young girl, with the prosecution revealing that he was aware of her age but chose to lie about his own to appear younger and manipulate the situation.
Prosecutor Anna Price detailed the nature of the offenses, emphasizing that Gillard's deception was a key element in the case.
She explained that during police interviews, Gillard relied on a prepared statement in which he denied any sexual contact with the girl.
He also claimed to have autism and ADHD, attempting to justify or explain his behavior.
However, he later admitted to the offenses during his plea and trial preparation hearing.
The court heard a statement from the victim, which was read aloud, describing the profound emotional impact the offenses had on her.
She expressed feelings of self-blame and shared that the trauma kept her awake at night, highlighting the lasting damage caused by Gillard's actions.
Defense lawyer Ryan Rothwell requested the court to consider a reduced sentence, citing Gillard's young age and mental health issues.
He pointed out that Gillard has diagnosed psychiatric conditions, including suspected autism and ADHD, and argued that these factors, along with his lack of maturity, should be taken into account.
Rothwell also raised concerns about Gillard's ability to cope within a custodial environment, noting that he had already experienced abuse while in prison.
It was also noted that Gillard had no prior convictions and that there had been delays in bringing the case to court.
The defendant had written a letter expressing remorse and acknowledging the victim's feelings, which was read to the court.
Judge Niclas Parry addressed Gillard directly, emphasizing the seriousness of the offenses.
He pointed out the significant age disparity and the fact that Gillard had lied about his age, which demonstrated awareness of the wrongdoing.
The judge stated that, according to psychiatric reports, Gillard's mental health issues did not significantly impair his understanding of the illegality of his actions and likely had limited influence on his decision-making.
As a result, Judge Parry sentenced Gillard to 27 months in a young offenders' institution, with the sentence to be served immediately.
Additionally, a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order were imposed for ten years, along with notification requirements as a sex offender for the same period.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge addressed the public gallery, which included the victim and her family, commending their dignity throughout the proceedings.
—————————————————————————————————— CHILD SEX OFFENDER WHO DUMPED GPS TAG IN BIN HAS 'SEXUAL OBSESSION' WITH TEENAGE GIRLS —————————————————————————————————— A sex offender took off his monitoring tag and put it in a public bin before police found he had send sexualised messages to an underage girl.
Luke Gillard, aged 21, of Wirral View, Hawarden, admitted four sex offences.
A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court today jailed him for two years.
Patrick Gartland, prosecuting, said Gillard had been convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child and was therefore made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order on August 28, 2024.
You can sign up for all the latest court stories here It meant he was prohibited from having unsupervised access to children under 16, his internet use was controlled and he was obliged to register where he lived.
But Mr Gartland said Gillard breached his notification requirements on October 28 last year by removing his GPS tag which was found in a public bin.
The court heard officers visited his home unannounced that month.
Gillard was asked about his phone and handed over a Nokia with "limited capability".
He denied he was intending to enable it to use the internet.
Several days later the police returned and found a Samsung phone "hidden under the bed".
Officers saw a Snapchat app was saved on its home screen and it was seized.
On November 11 last year analysts found the Samsung had access to TikTok, Facebook and Instagram as well as Snapchat.
Chatlogs showed messages with youngsters saying they were 13, 14 and 15, the court heard.
Gillard lied to them about his own age.
Most messages were not sexual but one exchange was sexual between October 12 and October 27 last year.
There was also sexual communication with a minor between October 18 and October 27 last year.
Gillard admitted failing to comply with notification requirements, breaching a sexual harm prevention order twice and engaging in sexual communication with a child.
Dafydd Roberts, defending, said his client has had a diagnosis of ADHD and potentially autism.
Only one chat was sexualised.
But he added that Gillard needs to engage with the probation service and adhere to protective court orders.
The judge His Honour Timothy Petts noted the defendant had removed a tag, lied about his age and had a sexual chat with a 15-year-old girl.
"This sort of behaviour is clearly completely unacceptable whatever diagnosis you have...You are a young man with a clear sexual obsession with teenaged girls," he said.
The judge jailed Gillard for two years for having contact with children in breach of a SHPO.
There were concurrent sentences of 16 months for using social media unlawfully, eight months for breaching notification requirements and six months for sexual communication with a child.
