A 63-year-old convicted paedophile who previously served a seven-year sentence for child sexual offences has been returned to custody after targeting, grooming, and meeting another young boy.
Tommaso Sardella, of Gresford, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court. A jury had convicted him of meeting a child following sexual grooming after rejecting his claims of innocence during a Crown Court trial.
The court heard that Sardella had a previous criminal record for serious sexual offences against children. In 2010, he was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment following convictions for seven counts of indecent assault against a boy under the age of 14 and one count of attempted sexual assault involving a boy under the age of 16, with offences dating between the 1980s and 2000.
Despite his prior convictions, prison terms, and post-release supervision, Sardella initiated predatory sexual grooming of another young child. Prosecutor Simon Parry explained to the court that Sardella developed an attraction to the young boy that he failed to suppress, arranged to meet him, and intended to touch the child sexually. Sardella also took deliberate measures to dissuade the child from disclosing the offences or alerting police. The victim stated in a personal impact statement that the grooming had caused enduring, life-changing distress.
Under the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 and Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, child victims of sexual offences are protected by automatic, lifelong statutory anonymity. It is a criminal offence to publish, broadcast, or disclose any details, including names, addresses, school information, or photographs, that could lead to the public identification of the child across print, broadcast, digital, or social media networks.
Sardella continued to deny his guilt and displayed no remorse throughout the proceedings. The jury returned a guilty verdict, finding that he had groomed and met the child with sexual intent.
Presiding Judge Simon Mills noted the offender’s total lack of insight and high risk of reoffending, stating:
“As matters stand, I can see no prospect that you can be rehabilitated.”
The judge handed down an immediate determinate custodial sentence of two years’ imprisonment. Under standard UK statutory sentencing provisions, Sardella will serve the requisite period in prison before becoming eligible for release on licence under probation supervision for the remainder of the term.
Alongside the custodial sentence, the court ordered:
A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) placing enforceable restrictions on his use of internet-enabled devices and prohibiting unsupervised contact with children
Mandatory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of 10 years under the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003
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