A former primary school teacher who posed as a young girl online and pressured children to send explicit images of themselves has been jailed.
Daniel Fuge, 38, of Prospect Road, Dorchester, formerly of Wrexham, denied making indecent images, and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
But a jury found him guilty of all four charges following a trial at Mold Crown Court in February.
He appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentencing yesterday, Monday, 31 March, where he was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Fuge was made subject to sex offenders register notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order, both indefinitely.
He is also barred from working with children and vulnerable adults, and he was given a 10-year restraining order prohibiting Fuge from contacting his victims.
Fuge persistently asked and pressured two boys for explicit material on Snapchat, before inciting one to send a video carrying out a sexual act.
The material of one of the victims was later circulated around his school.
Following a meticulous police investigation, his devices were seized from his parents’ home in Wrexham, and upon examination, further victims were identified.
He was charged in March 2024.
At the time of committing the offences, Fuge had been working as a primary school teacher in Saudi Arabia and posed as the young girl online when he returned home during school holidays.
He had been using a device running a virtual private network (VPN), used to encrypt its internet connection to hide its location and identity.
Detective Constable James Hughes, who led the investigation said: “I would like to praise the victims in this case for their bravery and courage throughout this investigation.
“Daniel Fuge stole their innocence away as he posed as a young girl to trick and deceive them into sending explicit images to satisfy his own warped sexual desires.
“The messages recovered as part of the investigation evidenced that he was aware his victims were just children at the time, but despite this, he continued his predatory behaviour.
“He has shown no regard for the effects his actions have had on the victims or their families.
“I urge anyone who has ever experienced something similar to get in touch with us and not suffer in silence. You will be listened to and supported by police.”
