A former Dudley councillor has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to four sexual offences involving children. Adrian Hughes, aged 36, from Marsh Lane, Preston, was caught by a police sting operation online, where officers posed as two girls aged 12 and 13.
Although the offences did not involve real victims, Judge Miss Recorder A Siddiqi at Preston Crown Court stated on April 24 that Hughes believed he was messaging actual minors. She emphasized, "You thought you were messaging 12 and 13-year-olds; you could have done a great deal of harm. Unacceptable does not capture how appalling your behaviour was; immediate custody was inevitable."
Details of the offences
Hughes had previously admitted to attempting to initiate non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13 and a similar charge concerning a girl aged 13 to 15. He also confessed to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child under 13 and with a child aged 13 to 15. The crimes occurred in May and June 2025, when law enforcement created the personas of Lucy, 13, and Molly, 12, on the online platforms IB and Kick.
Prosecutor James Cooper informed the court that Hughes, who served as a Labour councillor in Dudley from 2022 to 2024, first contacted Lucy. Despite being told she was 13, he requested pictures, complimented her body, and sent sexually explicit messages. He then initiated a chat with Molly, again asking for images. When officers sent a fake photo of a fully-clothed girl, Hughes asked her to remove her hoodie. He briefly ended contact, citing her age, but messaged her six more times. After discussing sexual topics, he sent images of himself in underwear and his genitals.
Defence and sentencing
Defence lawyer Georgia Faulke argued that Hughes had no prior criminal record and that his offending occurred during a short period when he was struggling with mental health issues, stemming from a childhood with parents who misused alcohol. She stated, "It was a period of isolation; he wanted support from someone to talk to. It stems from mental health difficulties he was going through at the time." The court heard that Hughes was self-medicating with cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol during the offences but has since stopped using drugs and reduced his drinking significantly. Faulke added that Hughes showed remorse and had not reoffended since his arrest.
Recorder Siddiqi sentenced Hughes to 32 months for attempting to incite a child into sexual activity, with concurrent terms of 12, 15, and 12 months for the other charges. He received credit for early guilty pleas but was penalized for deleting chat evidence. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed, requiring him to register his address and any name changes with police.
