A 25-year-old man, Ryan Russell, has been sentenced to imprisonment for the rape and sexual assault of a minor. Ryan Russell, currently homeless, appeared at Mould Crown Court today (Tuesday, November 26th) where he received an 8-year prison term followed by an additional 3 years on licence.
He acknowledged 14 charges from the previous summer, which include two counts of child rape, two counts of sexual assault, and four counts of engaging in sexual conduct with a child in the Flintshire region.
The victim, aged 12 at the time of the initial offence, informed the authorities that she encountered Ryan Russell via Snapchat.
Ryan Russell also confessed to encouraging a second female to participate in sexual behaviour, as well as three counts of producing indecent pictures and having extreme pornographic material.
Subsequent to his apprehension, digital forensics uncovered around 200 obscene photographs classified as the most severe category on his mobile device.
Snapchat data also showed Ryan Russell had been in conversation with multiple underage girls on the social media platform.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ben Franklin said: “Although today’s sentence will not take away the harm and distress caused to the victim and her family, I hope it will provide some comfort knowing nobody else can now come to harm.
“I would also like to applaud her for her courage in reporting such serious offences, and for her bravery throughout the investigation.
“I hope this encourages other victims and gives them confidence that North Wales will endeavour to investigate violence against women and girls and bring offenders to justice.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.