In 2023, the Offender Database recorded that then 25-year-old Connor Friel—of Llanidloes, Powys—was jailed for 12 months after being caught in an undercover police operation. The investigation established that Friel, a young father, engaged in sexually explicit communications with a persona named “Ava,” whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The prosecution reported at Mold Crown Court that Friel sent an image of his genitalia to the officer and expressed a predatory desire to see the child unclothed, suggesting they might “be fortunate” together in the future.
The investigation established that Friel’s strikes occurred between August and September 2023, during which he persistently messaged the decoy, asking if she was wearing her school uniform and requesting images of her in a bra. The prosecution reported that Friel moved the conversation to WhatsApp to evade detection, eventually demanding “a naked or merely breasts” from the child. He was arrested on 20 September 2023, after his digital activity was flagged by specialists monitoring high-risk offenders in the Powys area.
Judicial Findings and Sentencing
The court reported that Friel was already a repeat offender, having received a suspended sentence in November 2020 for possessing indecent images of children. The investigation established that Friel was under a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which prohibited him from using social media, a condition he violated repeatedly to target “Ava.” The prosecution reported that Judge Rhys Rowlands found it “disheartening” and “alarming” that Friel had learned nothing from previous rehabilitation, especially given he was in a relationship and had a child of his own.
Judge-led proceedings at Mold Crown Court concluded on Tuesday, 12 December 2023. For his actions in Llanidloes, Powys and the nature of the serial child abuse reported, Friel was sentenced to 12 months in prison. The judge noted that while no real child was harmed because the target was an undercover officer, Friel’s “perseverance” and total disregard for his standing court order proved he was a significant danger to the public. He appeared via video link from HMP Parc, Bridgend, to receive his term.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Mold Crown Court in 2023:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempting to induce a child under 16 to participate in sexual communication; Breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order x2).
- Custodial Status: SERVED (Sentenced to 12 months in 2023; custodial term concluded).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for 10 YEARS (Set to conclude in 2033).
- SHPO Status: Active (Extended following the 2023 conviction to impose even stricter digital monitoring).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite and permanent ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Mold Crown Court; investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police.
- Criminal Record: Repeat offender who breached an active SHPO; Targeted a supposed 13-year-old for sexual images; Sent indecent images of himself to an undercover officer; Jailed for 12 months.
- Origin: Llanidloes, Powys.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Friel is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Powys. Due to the nature of his behaviour—specifically his “recidivist” strikes and his failure to respond to previous probation-led rehabilitation—he is a priority for intensive digital forensic audits. Authorities reported that the 2023 conviction ensures Friel’s status as a “dangerous” individual is documented for a further decade to prevent any further violation of human decency.
As a registered sex offender for 10 years, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Friel’s behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised his own gratification over the safety and human rights of a child, despite being a parent himself. Any failure by Friel to adhere to his notification requirements or his restrictive SHPO in Llanidloes, Powys, or elsewhere will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who has violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a “Young Father” who had already undergone failed rehabilitation, do you believe that parents convicted of child sex offences should legally face mandatory permanent GPS tagging to ensure they never enter school zones or playgrounds?
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