Paedophile using dark web had child sex abuse images.

Paedophile Caught with Thousands of Child Sex Abuse Materials

A paedophile identified through the dark web was apprehended with thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Officers from the National Crime Agency identified the online identities of several users on the dark web site "The Camp Fire". By tracing their IP addresses, they were able to uncover their real-world identities. One of the users was Jordan Waddon.

On October 15, 2020, police officers searched Waddon's home in Pen Y Bryn, Penyrheol, Caerphilly. "Mr. Waddon made admissions from the word go," stated prosecutor Nigel Fryer.

An extensive search uncovered thousands of child sexual abuse images across three seized laptops. Among the recovered materials, 236 pictures and 89 videos were classified as Category A, representing the most severe level of abuse. Additionally, more than 1,000 images and videos were classified as Category B, and 3,589 pictures and 17 videos were categorized as Category C.

"He understood what the dark web was. He understood what 'The Camp Fire' was for," explained Mr. Fryer. "He said he had been using the dark web as long ago as 2014."

Claire Wilks, Waddon's defense attorney, argued that he was "led astray" by other dark web users who exploited him at a young age. "The defendant himself was initially a child victim who was exploited himself," she said. "He was groomed. It's rather a sad state of affairs."

She added that Waddon, now 24, had not reoffended since his arrest in 2020.

Judge Neil Bidder described Waddon as living "an isolated existence". He sentenced Waddon to a 24-month community order, 40 days of rehabilitation activity requirements, 120 hours of unpaid work, and mandatory completion of Maps for Change work.

Waddon was also placed under a sexual harm prevention order and required to register as a sex offender, both for a period of five years. "If you break this order, it's prison. It's that simple," the judge cautioned Waddon.