Former Teaching Assistant Found Guilty of Downloading Thousands of Child Sex Abuse Images

A former teaching assistant, Iestyn Thomas (51), was sentenced in Swansea Crown Court for downloading and possessing thousands of indecent images of children. Police discovered over 5,000 images and videos on his laptops, mobile phone, and online storage account.

The investigation revealed that Thomas had visited a Russian website hosting child sex abuse material an astonishing 38,000 times. Further investigation also uncovered 774 Category A images (the most explicit), 24 prohibited images, and 34 images and videos featuring animal abuse classified as extreme pornography.

The court heard that Thomas had been using a shared laptop with family members for some of his activities, potentially implicating innocent individuals in the investigation.

Thomas, of Cardigan Crescent, Bonymaen, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children (Category A, B, and C), possessing prohibited images, and possessing extreme pornographic images.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the offense, Thomas' lawyer, Andrew Evans, argued that Thomas had been suffering from anxiety and stress and had become addicted to pornography and indecent images.

Letters from family and friends spoke highly of Thomas, highlighting his previous positive conduct and lack of prior concerns regarding his work with vulnerable individuals. Thomas has since sought help from the Lucy Faithful Foundation and is undergoing counselling.