'Upskirting' man followed schoolgirls to take photos but they were more than a match for him

A paedophile lurking near a railway bridge was brought to justice, partly due to the vigilance of a group of schoolgirls. Gareth Ashton got his comeuppance for following youngsters and snapping their photos, as he was chased down by a group of girls who also managed to capture an image of him.

Ashton. 39, of Victoria Road, Prestatyn, had previously been given a 12-month suspended sentence for similar offences but was caught yet again after tailing a 13 year old and taking lewd pictures. He was caught when the schoolgirls pursued him, with one yelling: "We've got your photo you fat f***".

Their evidence supported police findings that he had been stalking schoolchildren and engaging in crimes like upskirting. When Ashton was apprehended last September, he was found with 19 unregistered devices, a direct violation of his sexual harm prevention order, including gaming equipment and various mobile phones.

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His sentence this time, handed down at Caernarfon Crown Court, is four years and 10 months in prison. The court heard that the items seized contained 1,253 indecent images, primarily of girls under 10, categorised as Category C, the lowest of three categories, along with five similar videos.

Prosecutor Joshua Gorst said that Ashton had also taken photos and video near a seafront, often covertly captured while the phone was held at waist height, between his legs or upside down, reports North Wales Live.

He had amassed 696 Category C images at the seafront. One disturbing incident involved him filming a child walking naked to the beach, returning to her family and washing in a communal shower.

He later extracted 330 photos from that video. Screenshots were also taken from a video filmed on Colwyn Bay seafront between June 2022 and July last year.

Ember Wong, defending, highlighted her client's autism diagnosis, stating that his "neuro diverse condition" significantly impacts his understanding of the consequences of his actions. She added that he has found his time in custody extremely challenging, as he usually cares for his mother and lives with her and his sister.

The judge, Her Honour Nicola Saffman, noted Ashton's internet searches, which included school term dates. She sentenced him to three years and 10 months in prison for a "persistent" breach of the terms of his sexual harm prevention order, with the same sentence for another breach to run concurrently.

For the crime of upskirting involving a 13 year old girl, the perpetrator received a concurrent eight-month prison sentence. Additionally, for the production of indecent images, he was handed a 12-month consecutive sentence to the initial one, resulting in a total incarceration of four years and ten months.

Meanwhile, five months of his previously suspended jail sentence were activated but will run concurrently with the new terms. The judge placed a restraining order on him as well.

PC Julian Tomlinson, from North Wales Police's Protection of Vulnerable People Unit, commented on the case: "Parents and children should feel safe when out in public, and Ashton's actions will no doubt have a lasting impact on the community."

He commended the victim's contribution to the case, saying, "I praise the victim for supporting the investigation which has led to his conviction and will prevent him from offending again. We will robustly deal with those who offend against children and society's most vulnerable people."