ANDREAS BAUMINIS SHOCKS SKELMERSDALE WITH CHILD ABUSE VIDEOS AND IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Skelmersdale, Andreas Bauminis, a 22-year-old resident of Willow Hey, was sentenced to eight months in prison after authorities uncovered a collection of heinous child abuse videos and images at his home. The revelations came to light during a police investigation triggered by intelligence from the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation, which flagged Bauminis’ suspected use of internet file-sharing platforms to access illicit material.

On a February day last year, law enforcement officers arrived at Bauminis’ residence, a property shared with his brother’s family, including two young children. During the search, they seized his computer tower, which contained a trove of disturbing content. When questioned, Bauminis admitted to downloading a few videos involving girls aged between 12 and 15 from file-sharing sites, expressing remorse for his actions.

The court heard that the seized material included a particularly horrifying hour-long video depicting a girl no older than 11 being subjected to sexual abuse by multiple men. Additionally, investigators uncovered a 20-minute “snuff” film that appeared to show a 15-year-old girl being raped, strangled with a wire, and seemingly murdered. Although it was not definitively confirmed whether the girl died, Judge Denis Watson, QC, remarked that all evidence suggested she probably did. The footage showed her foaming at the mouth and with her eyes rolling back, with her final moments appearing to be life-threatening.

Further disturbing images included a series of Japanese cartoons—three hours’ worth—depicting children being abused by adults, other children, animals, and even extraterrestrial beings. The court was informed that Bauminis spent most of his time alone in his room when not working at a nearby factory. He admitted to viewing adult pornography as well as child exploitation material, revealing a warped and troubling interest in such content.

Judge Watson sentenced Bauminis to eight months in prison, emphasizing the grotesque nature of the material he possessed. He also ordered Bauminis to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that restricted his internet access to prevent further offenses. Bauminis had pleaded guilty to charges including making indecent photographs of a child, possessing extreme pornographic material, and possessing prohibited cartoon images of children.

During the hearing, Claire Jones, representing Bauminis, described him as a “remote, introverted individual who shows remorse.” She added that a probation report indicated Bauminis was unlikely to pose a further threat and expressed her client’s willingness to seek help to address his behavior. The case has left the community of Skelmersdale deeply disturbed, highlighting the ongoing challenge of combating online child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect vulnerable victims.