Online video game moderator met children on games platform

Between July 7, 2021, and August 6, 2021, Terry Hughes, of Meadow Way, Waterston, was moderator for an online racing game.

He would speak to users and supervise their gaming experience.

In this role Hughes spoke to a number of children, allegedly about the game.

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Hughes, 38, was put on the sex offender’s register in March 2020 after engaging in communication with a child. This period on the register ended in March this year.

Because of this charge the defendant was under ongoing management in the community which is when police officers attended his address.

On one occasion when officers visited Hughes they asked to look at his phone. Hughes went upstairs to retrieve it, however he was some time. When officers asked what was going on Hughes said he was deleting chats on the device.

Officers stopped him and when they eventually got hold of the device they found conversations on it including with an eight-year-old boy.

The nature of the conversation included asking the boy whether his parents were with him.

Hughes claimed him and the boy were just friends.

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In attendance at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on May 17 Hughes pleaded guilty to one charge of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

The offence took place between July 6, 2021 and August 6, 2021, at Waterston.

The case was adjourned to June 6 for probation to make an all options report.

Hughes was released on conditional bail, the condition being he was not to have any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18.

Hughes was also placed on the sex offences register.

Within three days of the court hearing, Hughes was requested to attend the police station and give his full name, date of birth, national insurance number, bank account details, passport and any other identification details, address details and notify the police if they live at an address where children under the age of 18 are present.