Repeat sex offender jailed for uploading indecent video of child.

Lewisham Sex Offender Jailed for Child Pornography

A repeat sex offender from Lewisham, Aron Mortlock (37), has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for uploading child pornography of an extreme nature online. This comes despite being under supervision after a previous conviction for making indecent images of children in May 2018.

Bromley Magistrates' Court heard that in September 2019, police received intelligence indicating that a Category A indecent video of a child had been uploaded to the internet. Investigations revealed that Mortlock, who was already on the sex offenders' register, was responsible for the upload. He was subsequently arrested at his home on suspicion of making and distributing indecent images of children.

A thorough search of Mortlock's residence yielded several items, including a phone and hard drive, which were seized by the police. Analysis of these devices uncovered a significant number of indecent images of children.

On February 12, Mortlock pleaded guilty to three charges: making an indecent image, distributing an indecent image, and attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence. He was subsequently sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on March 4, 2020.

In addition to his prison sentence, Mortlock will remain on the sex offenders' register for life.

Detective Constable Katie Slee of South East Safeguarding commented on the case: "Mortlock is a repeat offender who, despite being under supervision, continued to download horrific images of children. He has shown no remorse for his actions and actively attempted to hinder police access to the evidence seized from his home. We are satisfied that he is now behind bars and will have no access to devices that could facilitate further crimes."

An NSPCC spokesperson emphasized the severity of Mortlock's crimes: "Mortlock has committed a number of appalling offences that exemplify the horrific trade in child abuse images currently taking place online. Law enforcement cannot solve this problem alone. Big tech companies must also utilize their expertise and resources to promptly remove this harmful content from their platforms and identify the individuals responsible for its upload."