Former Hackney Councillor Avoids Jail for Child Abuse Images

A former Hackney councillor, Tom Dewey, has escaped a jail sentence after admitting to possessing indecent images of children. Recorder Jonathan Ashley-Norman, presiding over the case at Wood Green Crown Court, acknowledged Dewey's efforts to address his behavior since his arrest. While handing down a 12-month suspended sentence, he emphasized the devastating impact Dewey's actions had on his life and family.

The court recognized Dewey's early guilty plea and the steps he had taken to overcome his problem with viewing indecent images of children. As part of the sentence, Dewey's devices were forfeited, he was ordered to pay £500 in costs, and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed, restricting his contact with children.

Dewey, who served as a Labour councillor for De Beauvoir ward, was apprehended by National Crime Agency detectives just days before the May 2022 local elections. The NCA seized laptops and tablets from his Hackney home, revealing a "huge problem" with Dewey's access to and viewing of indecent images of children from the internet.

On April 29, 2022, the 36-year-old pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children, categorized as follows: 5 category A (the most serious), 41 category B, and 203 category C. Additionally, he admitted possessing 78 extreme pornographic images of children and 1,523 prohibited images of children.

The court heard that the images dated back to 2008 and were found on Dewey's personal Google Drive account. He was arrested at his Hackney residence, where he was the sole occupant, and cautioned at 7:03 AM on April 29, 2022. The NCA investigation was triggered by four "CyberTipline" reports that linked user IDs to Dewey's Google Drive.