Adam Wyles

Adam Wyles, a 34-year-old man from Great Yarmouth with connections to Suffolk, has a history of sexual offences involving indecent images of children. In 2015, he was convicted of possession of such images and received a community order along with a five-year sexual harm prevention order that restricted his contact with children. This order was imposed by Norwich Crown Court.

In 2019, Wyles breached the requirements of the sexual harm prevention order by deceiving a charity that supports children with disabilities into allowing him to drive on a trip to Europe. He admitted to three further offences of making indecent images of children and failing to comply with the notification requirements of the order. For these breaches, he was sentenced to 27 months in prison by Norwich Crown Court in April 2020, during which the sexual harm prevention order was extended.

Between 7 and 21 March 2022, Wyles travelled to Poland to deliver aid to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. During this trip, he posed as a medical aid officer in refugee camps, wearing an air ambulance medic uniform and using a false medical identification badge. He also offered to rescue children from a Ukrainian orphanage, raising concerns given his entrenched sexual interest in young female children, as noted by Judge Martyn Levett at Ipswich Crown Court.

Information about Wyles' activities in Poland was provided by a fellow traveller, prompting an application from the Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary to amend the existing sexual harm prevention order. On 31 March 2022, at Ipswich Crown Court, Judge Levett considered evidence of Wyles' previous convictions, including posing as a police officer and possessing a police uniform, as well as details of his recent trip. Wyles disputed some claims but the judge deemed it necessary and proportionate to order him to surrender his passport and banned him from leaving the UK for 18 months to protect children.

Following his return from Poland, Wyles contacted the Eastern Daily Press newspaper, attempting to portray his trip as heroic. He claimed to have provided medical evacuation and treatment services, evacuated wounded soldiers, and rescued Ukrainian families from Lviv and Kyiv, expressing intent to return soon. After researching his background and convictions, the newspaper declined to publish his story and investigated his activities instead.

The amendment to the sexual harm prevention order was made in light of Wyles' pattern of behaviour, ensuring restrictions on his international travel to mitigate risks associated with his convictions for child sex offences.