A 33-year-old man has been jailed for 10 years for grooming two young girls and sexually assaulting one of the victims.
Alexander Sands of no fixed abode, but from the Preston area, appeared for sentencing at Mold Crown Court on Friday, 21 August.
He previously admitted meeting a 13-year-old girl in the Pwllheli area following sexual grooming and assaulting the child by penetration following incidents in 2022.
As part of a separate investigation by Lancashire Police, he also admitted attempting to meet an eight-year-old child following grooming, which took place in the Leicestershire area last year.
Sands was sentenced to a total of 14 years, including a 10-years in custody with an extension period of four years.
He was handed lifetime restraining orders to protect both victims, he must register as a sex offender for life and was also made the subject of a 12-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Sands initially contacted the first victim through her friend via a video game online, where Sands told them he was 16. He was in fact 29-years-old.
He asked the victim for her social media details, but she refused.
On another occasion when the victim was playing a video game with her friend, Sands told her he was coming to visit her over the weekend, despite her never telling him where she lived.
The following day, he turned up in the Pwllheli area and found the victim sitting on a bench with her friends.
When the victim declined his request for a hug, he pushed one of her friends off the bench and sat next to her, where he forced himself on to her and kissed her.
He then attempted to place his hands down her trousers, before sexually assaulting her.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Aston said: “Alexander Sands is a danger to children and used an online platform to target his victim to fulfil his sexual desires.
“This case highlights just how important it is for children and their parents to know exactly who they are speaking to online.
“I commend the bravery of the victims in these cases for having the courage to come forward and to give their accounts, which has resulted in Sands’ lengthy sentence behind bars where he can no longer cause harm.
“We encourage all victims of sexual assault to come forward with the confidence that they will be heard and supported.
“Violence against women and girls will not be tolerated and remains a foremost priority for North Wales Police. We will continue to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.”
