In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 29-year-old Joseph Edward Wright was jailed for over three years after attempting to incite a child to carry out sexual acts online. Wright—of Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey—targeted a profile he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl named Morgan from Rhyl. It was reported that the investigation began in October 2017 when an undercover police officer, operating a false profile on the social media site Kik, was contacted by Wright.
The investigation established that Wright moved the conversation from Kik to Snapchat, where he sent explicit photographs of himself and attempted to arrange a physical meeting in Bangor. North Wales Police reported that following the digital interaction, officers raided Wright’s address and seized computer equipment. The prosecution reported that forensic analysis uncovered a prolific collection of abuse material, including images of infants only a few months old.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Wright’s devices contained 131 indecent images and 17 videos, with a significant number classified as Category A, the most serious level of abuse imagery. Additionally, officers discovered 999 prohibited images and 403 videos. Sentencing Judge Timothy Petts told Wright that by consuming such material, he played a direct part in the perpetuation of child abuse and served as part of the market that keeps the industry going.
Judge-led proceedings at the crown court resulted in a sentence of three years and four months. For his actions in Anglesey and Bangor, Wright was also made subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. The judge noted that Wright’s attempts to downplay his predatory behaviour during interviews as being just for fun were irrelevant given the horrific nature of the images found in his possession.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Anglesey and North Wales, the status of Joseph Edward Wright as of April 7, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Served 3-year and 4-month term; sentenced 2018; released on licence circa 2020).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity; Possessing and distributing indecent images).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court; investigated by North Wales Police.
- Criminal Record: Attempted to groom a 13-year-old via Kik and Snapchat; Possessed Category A images of infants; Distributed abuse material.
- Origin: Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Wright is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the community following his release from prison. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his use of multiple social media platforms to target children and his consumption of infant-age abuse material—his management is a critical priority for the North Wales Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his proactive attempts to arrange a meeting in Bangor demonstrate a high level of predatory intent and a risk of escalation to physical contact.
As a registered sex offender for life, the defendant’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his lifelong SHPO mandates strict digital monitoring and a total ban on the use of unapproved social media or messaging applications. Any future residence in Anglesey or North Wales will be subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Any attempt to contact minors online, any breach of his digital monitoring conditions, or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of online grooming.
QUESTION – Given that the offender used multiple apps to target a child and claimed it was “just for fun,” do you believe that “Digital Persistence” should trigger an automatic doubling of the custodial sentence for online grooming?
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