A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to eight and-a-half years in prison for a series of child sex offences. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Wayne Philip Phillipson appeared at Mold Crown Court today charged with 18 offences in relation to Operation Blue Breeze, a UK-wide CSE investigation. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Phillipson of Kent Road, Consett, used Snapchat and an app called Wink to befriend 12 to 14-year-old children across the country and incited them to send him indecent images. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

He was homeless and would travel across the country attempting to meet children, whom he had contacted online, in person before ultimately being arrested in Wrexham city centre on 9 June, 2022. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌

Upon arrest, his mobile phone was found to contain in excess of 100 indecent images and North Wales Police were able to evidence contact with 29 children across the UK. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

In today’s court proceedings, Phillipson was also sentenced for another child sex offence which took place in the Durham area. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌