Paul Vaughan

A 76-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a string of historic sexual offences against two boys in the 1980s. Paul Vaughan, of Emlyn Grove in Rhyl, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court after pleading guilty to 15 charges relating to the abuse of two 12-year-old boys.

Vaughan exploited his role as a youth leader to target the children. The court heard that he showed the boys pornographic material before committing sexual acts against them. The abuse took place at Vaughan’s home, while out camping, and at a youth club. The charges included seven counts of gross indecency with a boy under 14, six counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14, and two counts of inciting a boy under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency. Eight charges related to one victim, abused in 1983, and the remaining seven concerned a second victim, abused between 1983 and 1984.

One of the victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, delivered a personal statement in court describing the profound and lasting impact of the abuse. He branded Vaughan “evil” and said the sentence may finally allow him to begin moving forward. Judge Nicola Jones praised his bravery, telling him: “Don’t let Vaughan’s terrible abuse define your life, he’s not worth it.” The second victim was not present in court.

In mitigation, defence counsel Patrick Geddes stated that Vaughan had entered guilty pleas, was in poor health, and now suffered from dementia. Vaughan also claimed he had been sexually abused as a child himself but was ignored when he attempted to raise it.

Judge Nicola Jones described Vaughan’s actions as “vile” and told him: “You were preying on young boys for your own sexual gratification.” She imposed sentences of seven and a half years for the offences against each victim, to run consecutively, totalling 15 years. Two-thirds of the sentence must be served in custody, with the remainder on licence. Vaughan was also made subject to indefinite notification requirements and will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

This is not Vaughan’s first conviction for such offences. He is already serving a 20-year, six-month sentence imposed in 2023 for historic sexual offences against two other young boys, committed between 1977 and 1984 during his time as a youth leader in Rhyl. Those crimes included five counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child. He was also given an indefinite ban on working with children and adults.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Andrew Vaughan of North Wales Police described Paul Vaughan as “a dangerous sexual predator. He used his position to perpetrate offences against victims who trusted him as a figure of authority.” He added: “Thanks to the bravery of previous victims in reporting the instances of abuse, more people have found the courage to come forward resulting in today’s sentence.”