Paedophile found guilty of sexually abusing young girl and taking and distributing pictures of the abuse.

Man Jailed for 10 Years for Sharing Child Abuse Images

A 30-year-old man from Southampton, Richard Couzens, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing vile images of young girls being abused online. Couzens uploaded the sickening images to a Russian website via his mobile phone, believing his actions would go undetected.

However, Australian police officers discovered the images and utilized advanced technology to track them back to Couzens. They shared the information with Hampshire police, who arrested Couzens and questioned him.

During the investigation, Couzens confessed to taking pictures of a young girl he sexually abused. He also admitted to posting other images of children aged between three and eleven, attributing his actions to an addiction to child abuse imagery.

Couzens pleaded guilty to 20 charges, including taking and making indecent images, distributing them, and assault by penetration. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with a five-year extended licence. He was also placed on the sex offenders register and subjected to a sexual offences prevention order, both for life.

Judge Derwin Hope condemned Couzens's actions, stating that he had committed a serious breach of trust. "You took pictures of this girl and then distributed them over the web for other like-minded people," the judge said. "This was particularly shocking and illustrates the deep-seated nature of your perversion that has manifested for more than five years."

The judge deemed Couzens a significant risk to the public, particularly to young girls, and extended his licence due to his dangerous nature.

Couzens's lawyer, Susan Ridge, acknowledged his remorse and stated that he wished to seek help for his addiction. "He is deeply remorseful and greatly distressed at what he has done," she said. "He is ashamed of what he has done and knows he will go away for a long time and the impact it will have on his family."