A 49-year-old sex offender has been jailed for over 18 years for facilitating the rape of young children.
Stephen Harris, of Church Street, Flint was unwittingly speaking to an undercover police officer as part of a covert operation dedicated to online sexual offending against children when he shared his sexual interests.
Harris, who has made repeated breaches of a sexual harm prevention order, suggested he wanted to meet to facilitate the rape of the undercover officer’s fictional children, who he was told were aged six, and three months.
He also discussed meeting likeminded people to penetrate animals, despite being on license and subject to restrictions of the sex offenders register at the time.
Following a referral by the undercover officers to North Wales Police, Harris was arrested, where his devices were seized from his home.
They were found to contain over 2,000 indecent images of children, ranging from newborn babies to children up to 10-years-of-age.
Harris admitted 11 charges including arranging or facilitating the rape of a child, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of possession of indecent, possession of an extreme pornographic image, possession of prohibited images of children and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
At Mold Crown Court on Monday, 1 September, he received an extended custodial sentence of 18 and a half years, which included 13-and-a-half-years in prison, with an extended licence period of five years.
He was also made subject to notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Morgan Thomas said: “Thankfully, there were no children at risk of being sexually harmed by Harris in this instance, however, that is not always the case.
“Harris’ dark sexual desires pose a serious risk of harm to children, and the community will now be a safer place while he faces the consequences of his behaviour in prison.”
