A FORMER football club press officer has been told he faces “lengthy” consecutive sentences for sexually abusing two young children.

David Daniel Hayes, who at one time lived in Buckley, was convicted last month of sexual offences, including rape, against a boy and a girl, who were both aged under 10 at the time.

Judge Rhys Rowlands adjourned sentencing until Tuesday after hearing that the mother of the two victims had not been able to attend Mold Crown Court on Monday to read a victim impact statement.

Hayes was taken into custody on a European arrest warrant in Spain where he was working as a tutor after travelling to Amsterdam and Brazil with the judge noting he had been at large between December 2015 and July last year.

“It is an aggravating feature that has added to the stress caused to the victims by behaving in this way and I will reflect it in the sentence with the substantial matters,” said Judge Rowlands.

He added added Hayes’ sexual abuse of the girl was such that it had caused her “serious psychological harm” which he would also take into account when passing sentence.

Hayes’ trial heard how Hayes, who had connections to Bangor City Football Club, was linked to his crimes by forensic evidence, although Hayes told police there would be no forensic evidence to link him to any of the allegations.

A DNA sample for semen found on the girl’s underwear matched his DNA profile.

The boy told police that Hayes “used to hit him” and when he had sexually abused him he told him “not to tell anyone”.

Hayes, 40, formerly of Bridge Street, Llanrwst, entered not guilty pleas to 12 child sex offences, but he was convicted on all counts.

They included sexual assault, rape and inciting a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act with all the offences alleged to have been committed between 2012 and 2015.