Hull Fair Workers Convicted of Child Sex Offenses

Two individuals have been convicted of numerous child sex offenses. These convictions stem from incidents last year when they targeted two teenage girls while employed at Hull Fair. Ryan Edgar, aged 29, received guilty verdicts for sexual activity with a child, rape, assault by penetration, and two counts of assault. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Ashley Phillips-Dawson, 19, was found guilty of assault and three counts of sexual activity with a child. He, too, had denied the offenses. Both men remain in custody and are scheduled for sentencing at Hull Crown Court on November 18. During their employment at the fair, Edgar and Phillips-Dawson initiated conversations with two young girls, exchanged phone numbers, and encouraged the girls to form a friendship with them. Edgar, residing on Park Street, Hull, requested nude images from the girls and persuaded both of them to accompany him and Phillips-Dawson, who lives on Topcliffe Garth, Hull, back to his flat. The girls were reported as missing persons but were subsequently located at Edgar’s flat, concealed in the bedroom, following his false statement that they were not present. The individuals were apprehended on suspicion of rape. Investigations subsequently revealed that Edgar had led one of the girls to his bedroom, restrained her, and raped her, concurrently with Phillips-Dawson sexually assaulting the second girl on the lower floor. Furthermore, both men subjected the girls to physical assaults and compelled them to consume cocaine. Detective Constable Megan O’Meara, the lead investigator, characterized the men as “sordid individuals” who “took advantage of two impressionable teenagers.” She stated, “I’d like to commend the two girls and their families for coming forward. It’s not easy to take that step and report sexual crimes in the first place, but then they had to relive the trauma through a trial after both men refused to admit their reprehensible crimes.” She further added, “It’s because of the girls’ bravery that both men have been held accountable for their crimes.” For highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire, listeners can tune into BBC Sounds, viewers can watch the most recent episode of Look North, or individuals can submit story suggestions here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.