A PEMBROKESHIRE man was found with images on his phone of children as young as three being sexually abused.
Prosecutor Sian Cutter told Swansea Crown Court that police attended the home of Andrew Davies in Pembroke Dock on November 16, 2022.
Davies was in at the time. He handed his phone to the officers and gave them the PIN. An initial search found child sex abuse images on the phone, and Davies was arrested.
Following a full forensic analyses of Davies’ phone, officers found nine Category A – the most serious – indecent images of children, 14 Category B images, and 44 Category C images from back as far as 2019.
Ms Cutter added that a further 32 “borderline images” were also found on Davies’ phone.
The court heard that the images featured children as young as three years old being restrained and sexually abused.
Davies made admissions in interview, and pleaded guilty to three offences on making indecent images of children at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.
The 36-year-old defendant, of Brewery Street, had no previous convictions.
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“The defendant is under no illusion as to the seriousness of this offending, which has to be said crosses the custody threshold,” said Ryan Bowen, appearing for Davies.
“He hasn’t at any stage sought to deflect his responsibility for this offending.”
Mr Bowen pointed to the delay in the case coming before the court, and said there was a realistic prospect of the defendant being rehabilitated as he had not re-offended since.
Addressing Davies, Judge Catherine Richards said: “The possession and viewing of child sexual abuse affects real children. It adds to the pain and suffering caused to them.
“It’s a significant aggravating factor that it involved a child as young as three.”
Judge Richards accepted that there had been “significant delay” in the case coming to court, that she was satisfied there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, and that the defendant had suffered “significant consequences” from his offending.
Davies was sentenced to eight months, suspended for two years. He must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He must also register as a sex offender for 10 years, and a further hearing will take place on April 11 to determine whether he will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
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