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A man was found in possession of more than 300 images of child abuse and extreme pornography. Children and animals were depicted in the disgusting images, some of which Andrew Thomas was uploading online using a Dropbox account.
Thomas, 55, was visited by police at his home on April 4 this year after they received a report relating to indecent images of children being uploaded on the internet. The court heard suspicions had been raised due to Thomas using his own email address.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday, August 25 heard police examined a number of electronic devices including a Samsung phone on which they found a secure folder with indecent images of children and evidence that some of these had been distributed. Thomas, of Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, was arrested and told police he had “been stupid” in having the images, also admitting he had been involved in distributing some of the images.
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The court heard the defendant had been sent images by another man and that after a time he had started looking at them and had later distributed some of them online. He also conceded that he had obtained sexual gratification from the images which included 182 category A indecent images, 56 category B images and 137 category C images as well as six images of extreme pornography related to animals.
Of the items in Thomas’ possession 107 were movies featuring indecent images. Further analysis of his phone revealed one category A, one category B and four category C images, but none of the moving images, had been distributed between January and March 2022. Sarah Iles, prosecuting, said the presence of moving images was an aggravating factor in the case, as well as the fact Thomas had been involved in a network whereby images were being distributed.
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Gavin Rofer, defending, citing Thomas’ guilty pleas entered at an early stage, his immediate cooperation with police and his “full and frank” admissions as mitigating factors. He added that his client had since voluntarily sought help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Stop SO to remedy his behaviour which he said the defendant now recognised as “abhorrent.”
Recorder Lewis KC told the court the defendant “couldn’t complain if I sent him immediately to prison” given the nature of the offences and that he would have had “no doubt” about doing so before reading the documents submitted in the case including a pre-sentence report. But he said he was minded to pass a suspended sentence in Thomas’ case, citing his age, lack of previous convictions, remorse and voluntary efforts to remedy his actions outlined in the documents.
Adding that he felt there was a “realistic prospect” of Thomas’ rehabilitation into the community, Mr Lewis passed a 20-month sentence suspended for two years. “You are a fortunate man,” he told defendant, adding that he would also pass a sexual harm prevention order around Thomas’ phone use and social media and rehabilitation requirement for 40 days. He must also sign the sex offender’s register and a £156 surcharge and collection order were made.
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