Fazakerley MAN BARRY REGAN SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND GROOMING CASES IN LIVERPOOL
| Red Rose Database
Fazakerley Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Fazakerley and the wider Liverpool area, Barry Regan, aged 45, was sentenced to eight years in prison for a series of heinous crimes involving child exploitation and possession of indecent images of children. The court proceedings revealed the extent of Regan's involvement in the abuse, grooming, and distribution of child pornography, highlighting the severity of his actions and the danger he posed to vulnerable minors.
Regan, a resident of Harrismith Road in Fazakerley, was found to have accumulated a staggering collection of over 29,000 images and videos depicting paedophilic content on his personal computer. During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Bryn Holloway was shown some of these images by the Merseyside Police’s abusive images unit. The judge described the material as the “most grotesque images of abuse he had seen” in his 18 years on the bench, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the evidence presented.
The investigation uncovered that Regan had begun grooming a teenage girl through an internet chatroom when she was only 15 years old. Over time, he established a sexual relationship with her, during which he filmed and took explicit photographs of her performing sex acts on him. Regan then encouraged her to download child pornography onto her laptop, further entrenching her involvement in his criminal activities. The girl’s foster carer discovered a USB stick filled with images of child abuse in her room last January, which led to the police being called and Regan’s subsequent arrest.
Further probing revealed that Regan had engaged in webcam contact with a paedophile from Essex, who was abusing his own four-year-old daughter. Regan watched these abusive acts via webcam and even sent messages of encouragement to the abuser. Files recovered from Regan’s computer showed that he had egged on the Essex man, who was later sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutor David McLachlan detailed how Regan had suggested the possibility of meeting with the abuser and the girl, even discussing bringing the young girl along for “some fun,” and had searched online for hotels where such a meeting could take place.
Regan, described as a hard-working man with no prior convictions, maintained regular contact with other paedophiles, exchanging images and videos. He recorded videos of the girl performing sexual acts on his mobile phone and shared these within his network. Authorities found more than 3,500 images on his computer classified as categories four and five, which are considered the most extreme forms of child pornography. During police interviews, Regan admitted to being addicted to viewing these images, describing the compulsion as “like a drug” that takes over his mind. He expressed a preference for movies over pictures and indicated that he favored children aged between seven and 14.
The case also involved the girl’s arrest after she downloaded child porn images for Regan, claiming that his laptop was being repaired when it was actually seized by police. She had told him she would retrieve some of the “stuff” he liked while she was doing her homework. The court heard that Regan’s actions were predatory, with his lawyer, Desmond Lennon, stating that the images he viewed both shocked and excited him.
Regan pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child, distributing child pornography, making indecent images of children, and taking indecent pictures of a person under 18. The judge sentenced him to eight years in prison, emphasizing that the punishment was meant to serve as a deterrent and to protect the public from his malign influence. Additionally, Regan was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and preventing further harm to children in the future.
Regan, a resident of Harrismith Road in Fazakerley, was found to have accumulated a staggering collection of over 29,000 images and videos depicting paedophilic content on his personal computer. During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Bryn Holloway was shown some of these images by the Merseyside Police’s abusive images unit. The judge described the material as the “most grotesque images of abuse he had seen” in his 18 years on the bench, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the evidence presented.
The investigation uncovered that Regan had begun grooming a teenage girl through an internet chatroom when she was only 15 years old. Over time, he established a sexual relationship with her, during which he filmed and took explicit photographs of her performing sex acts on him. Regan then encouraged her to download child pornography onto her laptop, further entrenching her involvement in his criminal activities. The girl’s foster carer discovered a USB stick filled with images of child abuse in her room last January, which led to the police being called and Regan’s subsequent arrest.
Further probing revealed that Regan had engaged in webcam contact with a paedophile from Essex, who was abusing his own four-year-old daughter. Regan watched these abusive acts via webcam and even sent messages of encouragement to the abuser. Files recovered from Regan’s computer showed that he had egged on the Essex man, who was later sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutor David McLachlan detailed how Regan had suggested the possibility of meeting with the abuser and the girl, even discussing bringing the young girl along for “some fun,” and had searched online for hotels where such a meeting could take place.
Regan, described as a hard-working man with no prior convictions, maintained regular contact with other paedophiles, exchanging images and videos. He recorded videos of the girl performing sexual acts on his mobile phone and shared these within his network. Authorities found more than 3,500 images on his computer classified as categories four and five, which are considered the most extreme forms of child pornography. During police interviews, Regan admitted to being addicted to viewing these images, describing the compulsion as “like a drug” that takes over his mind. He expressed a preference for movies over pictures and indicated that he favored children aged between seven and 14.
The case also involved the girl’s arrest after she downloaded child porn images for Regan, claiming that his laptop was being repaired when it was actually seized by police. She had told him she would retrieve some of the “stuff” he liked while she was doing her homework. The court heard that Regan’s actions were predatory, with his lawyer, Desmond Lennon, stating that the images he viewed both shocked and excited him.
Regan pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child, distributing child pornography, making indecent images of children, and taking indecent pictures of a person under 18. The judge sentenced him to eight years in prison, emphasizing that the punishment was meant to serve as a deterrent and to protect the public from his malign influence. Additionally, Regan was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and preventing further harm to children in the future.