 A man who posed as a scout for young models to lure in his young victims has been jailed after admitting to a string of sex offences. David Harmes, formerly of Wharton Gardens, pleaded guilty to 88 sex offences involving 39 victims in the UK, and six in the USA. Over a six-month period (July 2019 – February 2020), David Harmes targeted youngsters aged between six and 15 – all were female except one, who was male. Harmes appeared at Chester Crown Court on 24 July to face the charges. He pleaded guilty and has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on September 5. Police said Harmes used a number of guises to draw his victims in, including a model scout for a major clothing outlet called Jess, or a boy called Jaden or Alex, or Jadenthelad to name but a few. He would draw them in after spotting them on YouTube or Instagram. All this deceit and manipulation was to 'fuel his twisted obsession' it was heard. Harmes had just served his sentence for similar crimes when he was released on February 14, 2019 but it wasn't until July that he began offending again. Investigating officer DS Mark Naylor from the Constabulary's Major Crime Directorate said: 'Having received intelligence that Harmes was offending, his laptops, phones and other digital devices were seized in a warrant at his address, and Harmes was returned to prison for breaching his Sex Offender Notification Order on 8 February 2020 preventing him from committing further crimes.' Detectives pieced together his offending and linked him by his distinctive bedding in the images they found on his devices as well as footage of him accidentally opening his laptop and filming his face, for a few seconds. The pieces were coming together to put a case to CPS to authorise charges. Detectives liaised with the USA authorities to secure evidence for the victims in America and in May this year Harmes was){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
A man who posed as a scout for young models to lure in his young victims has been jailed after admitting to a string of sex offences.
David Harmes, formerly of Wharton Gardens, pleaded guilty to 88 sex offences involving 39 victims in the UK, and six in the USA.
Over a six-month period (July 2019 – February 2020), David Harmes targeted youngsters aged between six and 15 – all were female except one, who was male.
Harmes appeared at Chester Crown Court on 24 July to face the charges. He pleaded guilty and has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on September 5.