Ashley Wright

Ashley Wright, a 26-year-old youth custody officer from Wigston, Leicestershire, has been imprisoned for engaging in sexual offences against a vulnerable 15-year-old boy she was responsible for safeguarding at a secure training facility in Milton Keynes. The inappropriate relationship developed in 2019 while the boy was remanded at the facility, where Wright was employed to ensure his welfare and safety.

Prosecutor Patrick Duffy outlined during the trial at Kingston Crown Court that Wright's colleague observed the pair behaving inappropriately in front of other children, including touching each other's thighs under a desk. When confronted, Wright dismissed the concerns, stating, 'I'm not doing anything wrong.' Duffy emphasised the breach of trust, noting, 'the boy was a vulnerable child and she was employed to care for him.' Evidence uncovered during a police search of Wright's home in September 2020 included photographs of the victim touching her naked breasts, images of them kissing, and an eight-page 'love letter' from Wright to the boy.

• In explicit messages, Wright wrote to the boy: 'I can't wait to be in bed with you' and 'babe u look sexy in that pic.'
• She admitted to charges of abusing a position of trust to incite the child to engage in sexual activity, sexual touching, and engaging in sexual communications with a child.

Defence counsel James Francis Keeley described Wright as a 'hard-working young woman' of previous good character who felt 'deeply ashamed' and expressed genuine remorse for the breach of trust. However, Judge Rajeev Shetty highlighted that Wright continued the relationship even after coming under police investigation, with levels of intimacy increasing rather than diminishing. The judge stated: 'You had responsibility for his welfare and safety. Instead of safeguarding these things, you had a sexual relationship with him.'

The case was prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service, with evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police following reports of the misconduct. Wright's actions not only violated her professional duties but also exploited the vulnerability of a child in custody, leading to her custodial sentence of two years and two months.