He failed to notify police of his foreign travel even though this was a condition of being on the sex offenders’ register
William Hughes, pictured outside of court(Image: Hull Live)
An 82-year-old convicted paedophile claimed that he had been drugged in Amsterdam and flown to Abu Dhabi – before going on to Manila in the Philippines. William Hughes admitted that he had failed to notify police of his foreign travel in April last year, even though this was a condition of being on the sex offenders’ register, Hull Crown Court heard.
Hughes, of Dayton Road, west Hull, also admitted being in possession of extreme pornographic images on April 9, 2024. Holly Clegg, prosecuting, said that Hughes had a previous conviction for inciting sexual activity with a child, between the age of 13 and 17 years, in 2007.
Before appearing at court, Hughes fled the country and hid in Europe. He was convicted in his absence. Years later, he returned to the UK and was stopped at the airport.
He was subsequently convicted and placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Miss Clegg said that a condition of the order was that he had to notify police of any foreign travel. Defendants on the register were not allowed to go to further foreign destinations from the designated place without informing police. Hughes told police that he was going to Amsterdam in May 2023.
On May 25, 2023, Military Police notified the UK National Crime Agency that Hughes had boarded a plane to Abu Dhabi. Then he got on another plane to Manila.
He stayed there for nearly a year. When he returned to the UK in April 2024, he was arrested at Manchester Airport. He had two iPhones.
“He had tried to conceal his onward travel from Amsterdam,” said Miss Clegg. His phones were forensically examined and officers found images of a naked female child and sexually explicit chat with a man.
“It indicated that sex had taken place with girls aged 12 years,” said Miss Clegg. In an interview with police, Hughes claimed that he had intended to go to the Netherlands on a War Graves Memorial Tour but a friend had booked flights to the Philippines.
“He said that he had no memory of flying to the Philippines because he had been drugged and can only remember being in a wheelchair and people with white coats around him,” said Miss Clegg. He had used a different name when booking onward travel.
Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, mitigating, said that Hughes had health problems at the age of 82. “The offences were three years ago and nothing further has occurred,” she said.
Hughes was given a three-year suspended prison sentence. He was fined £500 and he must abide by a sexual harm prevention order for life. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for life and he must pay a £187 victims’ surcharge.
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