Shared images of children being sexually abused.

Man Sentenced for Sharing Child Abuse Images During Lockdown

Leigh Davies, 66, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for sharing images of children being sexually abused with "like-minded people" during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Davies, from Port Talbot, pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Davies had collected a significant number of indecent images, including some showing young girls who were clearly "in pain and distress."

Police officers executed a search warrant at Davies' home in November 2021, seizing numerous electronic devices. Davies admitted to using Kik and Snapchat and receiving "all sorts of stuff."

A forensic examination of the devices revealed 244 indecent images on an iPhone, including 166 of Category A, which depicts the most extreme kind of sexual abuse. Davies had also shared 20 images with others on the Kik messenger app and engaged in sexual conversations about children with contacts.

Davies' internet history showed searches for "young boys," and the ages of the children in the images ranged from around three to early teens. More than 220 images of extreme pornography were also found.

Davies' defense attorney argued that his client had been struggling during the lockdown and had turned to pornography as a coping mechanism. He stated that Davies was a hard-working family man with no prior convictions.

Judge Catherine Richards noted that Davies' offending lasted for 16 months and involved distributing images of child sexual abuse and engaging in sexual conversations with "like-minded people."

Davies will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order restricting his internet access for the same period.