Man on Trial for Child Trafficking Claims Teen Was Helping With His Dog During London Trip

A man charged in connection with child trafficking and sexual exploitation has told a court that a teenage girl accompanied him to London in April 2022 solely to assist with his dog, not for any illicit purpose. The 65-year-old, from Rhyl, is one of five defendants facing charges related to an alleged conspiracy involving three juvenile complainants. The trial at Caernarfon Crown Court has heard competing accounts of the circumstances surrounding the journey and the defendant's relationship with the victims.

The Defendant's Account

During police questioning, the defendant explained that he travelled to London where he has family and friends, bringing his dog with him. When confronted by his sister about his involvement with the teenage girl, he stated she was "only helping me with the dog." He instructed the girl to tell his sister she was older than she actually was, according to court testimony. The defendant admitted to providing a friend's bank card to the girl and another young person so they could purchase alcohol, but maintained he was unaware of the girl's age.

In a more recent interview conducted in 2025, the defendant's legal representative issued a prepared statement on his behalf, in which he denied facilitating travel for exploitation purposes or supplying cannabis to either of the two young complainants. He acknowledged driving one girl to London but stated he never indicated she would be unable to return to Rhyl. The defendant claimed he only smoked cannabis in the girls' presence but that it was his own supply.

The Investigation and Charges

Concerns about the London trip were raised by a friend of one of the victims living in that city, who contacted police after becoming worried about the situation. The girl and her friend subsequently left the defendant's associate's home in London. The defendant faces accusations of arranging the travel of two of the three complainants with intent for them to be sexually exploited, as well as supplying cannabis to both. A co-defendant, a 53-year-old woman from the Gronant area, is separately charged with perverting the course of justice, assisting an offender, and conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis.

When police presented contradictions between the defendant's version of events and accounts provided by one of the other complainants, he responded dismissively, stating "That's her problem." The trial continues to examine evidence from multiple police interviews and testimonies from the alleged victims.