Former North Wales Detective Pleads Guilty to Child Voyeurism and Evidence Tampering

A former detective constable has confessed to secretly photographing beneath a child's clothing and then attempting to destroy the evidence, in a case that has shocked the North Wales police force he once served.

Lee Harshey-Jones, 45, entered guilty pleas at Chester Crown Court to charges of voyeurism and perverting the course of justice, according to court proceedings reported on Wednesday. The offences took place in Colwyn Bay, Conwy county, and mark a dramatic fall from grace for an officer who had once been entrusted with some of the region's most sensitive investigations.

The court heard that Harshey-Jones admitted to what is commonly known as "upskirting" — the act of operating equipment beneath a person's clothing without their consent. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, this behaviour constitutes a criminal offence, and in this instance the victim was a child, adding significant gravity to the charge.

In a further admission, the former officer pleaded guilty to a charge of corrupt or improper exercise of his police powers and privileges. According to the court, he had used police computer systems to look up his own incident on the force's internal log — an act that prosecutors treated as a flagrant abuse of his position.

The perverting the course of justice charge relates to actions taken on 11 June 2026, when Harshey-Jones applied a factory reset to his mobile phone in an attempt to conceal evidence. That decision now forms part of the criminal case against him and reflects what investigators describe as a deliberate effort to obstruct justice.

At the time of his arrest, Harshey-Jones held the rank of detective constable with North Wales Police. He was suspended from duty immediately, and has since resigned from the force, a spokesperson confirmed. His departure does not, however, halt the criminal proceedings or the misconduct protocols that remain active.

The case carries additional notoriety because of the high-profile investigations Harshey-Jones had been involved in. He served as lead investigator in the case of two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths, whose grandparents were jailed for murder last year. He had also given evidence in other prominent murder trials across north Wales, making his guilty pleas all the more damaging to public trust.

Defending, Ryan Donoghue asked the court to order a pre-sentence report, noting that his client had no previous convictions and was previously of good character. Such reports are typically used by judges to assess the background, circumstances and risk posed by an offender before determining an appropriate sentence.

Recorder Mark Ford KC granted conditional bail and adjourned the case for sentencing on 19 November. He also informed Harshey-Jones that he must sign the sex offenders register — a requirement that will place him under ongoing monitoring and restrict his activities for a period determined by the court.

The recorder issued a stark warning to the defendant, stating that the decision to adjourn for a pre-sentence report should not be interpreted as any indication of the sentence that will ultimately be handed down for what he described as serious counts. That remark underscores the potential severity of the penalties Harshey-Jones now faces.

North Wales Police confirmed the former officer's resignation but declined to comment further, citing the active criminal proceedings and ongoing misconduct protocols. The force's position reflects standard practice in cases where legal processes are still underway, though it leaves questions about internal oversight unanswered for now.

The offence of voyeurism under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 was originally introduced to address a gap in the law before "upskirting" became a specific crime in England and Wales. Cases involving child victims are treated with particular seriousness by the courts, given the vulnerability of the complainant and the breach of trust involved.

Legal experts note that convictions for perverting the course of justice often attract custodial sentences, as they strike at the heart of the justice system. When combined with a sexual offence against a child and an abuse of police powers, the sentencing judge will have to weigh multiple aggravating factors against the mitigation of an early guilty plea and previous good character.

The case raises broader questions about vetting, oversight and the conduct of officers in positions of trust. North Wales Police, like other forces across the UK, has faced scrutiny in recent years over how it handles allegations against its own staff and whether victims can have confidence in reporting misconduct.

Harshey-Jones will return to Chester Crown Court on 19 November for sentencing. Until then, he remains on conditional bail, with the sex offenders register requirement already in place. The outcome of the hearing will determine whether the 45-year-old receives a custodial sentence or a community-based penalty.

For the child at the centre of the voyeurism charge, and for the wider public, the case represents a disturbing breach of the trust placed in a police officer. It also serves as a reminder that the criminal justice system applies to those who enforce the law as well as those who break it — a principle the courts will now test when sentence is passed.