In October 2010, Neil Andrew Durston, of Newtown Powys, appeared before Judge Phillip Hughes at Mold Crown Court for sentence following an investigation in relation to sexual assaults and possession of indecent images. At an earlier hearing Durston had pleaded guilty to 7 counts relating to images of children, which included possession of indecent photographs of category one and four, making an indecent image of a child and taking an indecent images of a child.
Following a four day trial commencing on the 6th of September 2010, Durston was found guilty by a unanimous verdict of thirteen charges against a victim which had occurred between the ages of 11 until 14 and involved rape, attempted rape, sexual assault by penetration, and sexual touching. The offending was on a regular basis and only came to light when the victim finally confided in a teacher at school.
This was a protracted enquiry which took considerable time and effort to gain the trust and confidence of the victim, during the course of the investigation a second victim was also identified. Durston was given sentences ranging from 2 to 14 years for the sexual offences. He was given a range of 4 months to 18 months for the indecent images with the 18 months to be consecutive to the 14 years making that grand total of 15½ years, a Sex Offender Prevention Order was granted and following his release Durston will be a registered sex offender for life.