ADAM THOMAS FROM COLNE CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN SHOCKING CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Colne, Adam Thomas, a man with a long history of sexual offenses involving minors, was found in possession of a significant number of indecent images of children. The incident unfolded during a police visit to his residence on October 13, where authorities uncovered evidence of his continued involvement in child exploitation.

Thomas, who has previously served time for similar offenses, was under strict legal restrictions, including a lifelong sex offender designation and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. These measures were put in place following his 2013 conviction, which involved charges of possessing and distributing hundreds of indecent images, as well as attempting to incite a nine-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. As part of his legal obligations, Thomas was required to surrender any electronic devices capable of internet access to the police upon request.

During the October 13 search, police seized three electronic devices from Thomas’s home on Keighley Road, including a Lenovo tablet. The devices were sent for forensic analysis, which revealed the presence of multiple indecent images. Prosecutor Stephen Parker explained that the images were created in October 2017 over the span of a week, and Thomas had made admissions during police interviews, acknowledging their existence. The images recovered included four Category A images, which are classified as the most severe form of child sexual abuse material, along with 15 Category B images and three Category C images, indicating a range of severity in the content.

Thomas, aged 37 at the time, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children. During sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt warned Thomas that he faced immediate imprisonment if he reoffended, noting that the court was fortunate that the number of images was relatively low. She remarked that the pre-sentence report suggested Thomas was doing well in other aspects of his life, which made his current situation more disappointing. The judge sentenced him to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete a 30-day rehabilitation program focused on sex offender treatment.

Further back in his criminal history, Thomas had previously been convicted in 2013 of attempting to incite a nine-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity, possessing and distributing indecent images, and breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). At that time, he was described by police as a “sexual predator” and was prohibited from unsupervised contact with children under 16. Despite these restrictions, Thomas was found to have violated the SOPO in October 2016 by failing to disclose a laptop to police, which he admitted he had been using to view inappropriate material. He was fined for this breach.

In the 2013 case, Thomas’s collection of child abuse images was described as “filthy” by the presiding judge, and he was sentenced to three years in prison. The court heard that police had seized multiple items from his parents’ address, which contained a variety of indecent images and chat logs with other individuals, including a nine-year-old girl. The investigation revealed that Thomas had distributed some of these images to other minors he communicated with online. Despite initial denials, Thomas eventually pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing the material, as well as attempting to incite a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Following his latest conviction, authorities emphasized their ongoing efforts to combat such offenders. Detective Sergeant Charlie Haynes highlighted the severity of the material found, describing it as some of the worst images encountered in their investigations. The court imposed a destruction order on all electronic devices seized and issued an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which includes registration requirements and bans Thomas from unsupervised contact with children under 16. The case underscores the persistent threat posed by individuals like Thomas, who continue to pose a danger to children despite previous convictions and legal restrictions.