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

A former detective constable with North Wales Police has entered guilty pleas to three criminal charges, including a voyeurism offence involving a child, following a hearing at Chester Crown Court.

Lee Harshey-Jones, 45, admitted one count of voyeurism after capturing images beneath a child's clothing without that child's consent, conduct commonly referred to as "upskirting." The offence falls under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which criminalises the operation of equipment beneath clothing without the subject's permission.

The court also heard that Harshey-Jones pleaded guilty to a separate charge of perverting the course of justice. Prosecutors said he performed a factory reset on his mobile phone on 11 June 2026 in Colwyn Bay, Conwy county, in an effort to destroy or conceal evidence connected to the investigation.

In addition to those two counts, the former officer admitted a third charge relating to the corrupt or improper exercise of his police powers and privileges. Specifically, he was accused of accessing the police computer log to look up his own incident record — an action that prosecutors characterised as a breach of the trust placed in him as a serving officer.

The case has drawn particular attention because of Harshey-Jones's professional background. At the time of the offences, he was a detective constable and served as the lead investigator in the high-profile case of two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths, whose grandparents were jailed for murder last year. He had also provided evidence in other prominent murder trials across north Wales, giving him significant standing within the force.

Following his arrest, North Wales Police suspended Harshey-Jones from duty. The force has since confirmed that he resigned from his position, bringing his law enforcement career to an end before the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him.

During the Chester Crown Court hearing, defence barrister Ryan Donoghue requested that a pre-sentence report be prepared for his client. Donoghue told the court that Harshey-Jones was a man of previous good character, a factor that may be taken into account when sentencing is determined.

Recorder Mark Ford KC, who presided over the hearing, granted Harshey-Jones conditional bail. However, the judge issued a clear warning to the defendant, stating that the adjournment for a pre-sentence report should not be interpreted as any signal regarding the severity of the punishment that will ultimately be imposed for what he described as serious counts.

The recorder 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 to be determined at sentencing. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for 19 November.

In a statement issued after the hearing, North Wales Police confirmed the former officer's resignation. The force added that because criminal proceedings and misconduct protocols remain active, it was unable to provide further comment at this time — a standard position for police forces when legal processes are still underway.

The voyeurism offence to which Harshey-Jones pleaded guilty involves a particularly serious breach of privacy. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, operating equipment beneath a person's clothing without consent — whether to observe or record their genitals or buttocks — carries significant legal consequences, and the fact that the victim in this case was a child is likely to be treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing.

The perverting the course of justice charge is equally serious in the eyes of the law. Courts in England and Wales have consistently treated attempts to destroy or conceal evidence as an attack on the integrity of the justice system itself. By performing a factory reset on his phone, Harshey-Jones sought to permanently erase data that might have been relevant to the investigation against him.

The third charge — corrupt or improper exercise of police powers — relates to his decision to access police systems to view records concerning his own case. This type of offence strikes at the core of public trust in policing, as it involves an officer using resources intended for legitimate investigative purposes to serve personal interests.

The case raises broader questions about oversight and accountability within police forces. Officers are granted considerable powers and access to sensitive information, and the public expects that these tools will be used lawfully and ethically. When an officer is found to have abused that access, it can undermine confidence in the institution as a whole.

Harshey-Jones's previous work on the Ethan Ives-Griffiths murder investigation adds a further layer of complexity. As lead investigator in a case that resulted in the imprisonment of the toddler's grandparents, he held a position of significant responsibility and was entrusted with handling sensitive material. His subsequent guilty pleas represent a stark reversal of the role he once occupied.

Legal observers will now await the pre-sentence report, which will provide the court with background information about Harshey-Jones, including his personal circumstances, character references, and any mitigating factors. The report will assist Recorder Ford in determining an appropriate sentence on 19 November.

The sex offenders register requirement means that Harshey-Jones will be subject to notification obligations for a minimum period set by law, depending on the sentence handed down. These obligations typically include informing police of changes of address, travel plans, and other personal details.

North Wales Police has not indicated whether any separate misconduct proceedings will follow the criminal case, though the force acknowledged that misconduct protocols remain active. Such proceedings could result in findings being recorded against Harshey-Jones even after his resignation, particularly if they relate to the manner in which he left the force.

The sentencing hearing on 19 November will determine the length and nature of any custodial or community sentence, as well as the duration of his placement on the sex offenders register. Until then, Harshey-Jones remains on conditional bail.