Wrexham youth posed as American dance sensation on Facebook and got young girls to perform sexual acts

A judge told Lewis Edwards, 18, from Wrexham, that he knew young girls would be infatuated with her.

Edwards set up a false Facebook profile in Madison’s name complete with pictures and girls aged 10 and 12 were persuaded to carry out penetrative sexual acts on themselves while he watched.

One girl could be heard crying and begging who she thought was Madison, telling her that she did not want to do it – but because she was infatuated with the celebrity, she did it for her.

The internet superstar was not involved in any way but Edwards pretended to be her and had films and images of what the young girls were doing via Facebook’s live facility.

Edwards received an extended sentence to protect the public – four years youth custody followed by four years of supervision on licence – making it an eight-year sentence.

He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for life and a “tough” sexual harm prevention order was made indefinitely which, among other things, bans him for using social networking sites including chat lines.

Edwards admitted two charges of incitement, possessing indecent images of young children including babies being sexually abused, together with extreme images and prohibited images.

He also admitted failing to notify police of a mobile phone which he used for the offending.

Judge Niclas Parry told Mold Crown Court it was the most disturbing case he had ever encountered, involving someone so young.

The offences, and his previous convictions, left him in no doubt that he posed an extremely high risk to young girls.

Despite many years of assistance to try to address his sexually harmful behaviour and focused, professional intervention, he had simply continued to offend.

It was clear that he would not stop without help, the judge said.

Edwards was described as ”a nightmare” to monitor.

He had convictions for possessing porn going back to 2014, and when he was 15 and 16 he had incited girls to send him photographs of themselves, threatening rape and to kill them if they did not agree.

The current offences included images relating to the serious abuse of babies which he had deliberately searched for.

But of even greater concern were the offences where he incited young girls over social media while posing as the teenage American dancer.

“You created a false profile, put her pictures on it, and you persuaded young girls to engage in sexual activity,” Judge Parry told Edwards.

Despite all the work done with him he continued to offend and the offences became more serious.

He had tried his best to conceal what he had done and did not recognise the harm he was causing.

Judge Parry said he took into account that Edwards had been seriously disadvantaged in his home environment and had been corrupted morally, which was not his fault.

The case was so serious that he could do nothing other than imposed an extended term of imprisonment to protect the public.

Barrister Owen Edwards, prosecuting, said Edwards had created a false profile of the American teen dancer which had a young teenage girl following in the States.

It was clear there had been grooming and planning.

The phone and an Xbox which had been used in the offences were recovered by police in a search of his home in Wrexham in July.

A total of 78 category A images, the most serious kind, were found together with 99 category B and 505 category C.

Graphic search images showed what he had been looking for.

But most disturbing of all was the creation of the false profile of the American teen dance sensation which he used to persuaded young girls in the States to engage in sexual acts.

Some of the acts were recorded in a live facility and one little girl could be heard tearfully saying ”I don’t want to do this” but was persuaded to do so.

He had also been in contact with other young girls.

Henry Hills, defending, said he had to accept that what the court had heard was unrelentlessly grim.

“They are very serious offences,” he said. But he was only 18, was applying himself well in custody and had pleaded guilty at an early stage.

It was a sad case and “worrying to say the least”.

Mr Hills said the impact of his late father’s behaviour loomed large over Edwards whose young life had been tainted by extremely deviant sexual behaviour.

His thought processes and perceptions had become distorted and he had continued to engage in addictive behaviour.

He had led an isolated life within the home and he had settled well in custody where he had developed appropriate associations.

On his release he would be subject to muliti agency arrangements which would afford the community significant protection, said Mr Hills.

Following sentencing, investigating officer DC Morgan Thomas said: “I am pleased the court has handed down a custodial sentence which reflects the magnitude of the offences committed.

“Lewis Edwards demonstrated dangerous behaviour and now he must face the consequences of his actions.

“This should act as a caution to people who download indecent images of children that North Wales Police are actively monitoring them.

“This is not a victimless crime, it has to be remembered that every image is a child being abused, and every acquisition of them via the Internet simply encourages their continued existence and supply.”

Anyone who has any information regarding the possession and distribution of indecent images can contact North Wales Police on 101.