CRAIG ROBERTS SENTENCED IN SWANSEA FOR POSSESSING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES
In April 2021, a university graduate was found to be in possession of thousands of child sexual abuse images on his phone and computer, a Swansea court has heard.Police uncovered a total of 8,148 indecent images on Craig Lee Roberts' devices, including 985 of the most extreme categories depicting severe sexual abuse and rape.
Prosecutor Georgina Buckley told the court that the investigation was triggered when police executed a search warrant at Roberts' Brynhyfryd home in Swansea.
Present during the search were Roberts, his partner (now ex-partner), and family members.
When officers arrived, they found Roberts in his bedroom.
Upon being told the purpose of the search, he reportedly responded that they would find what they were looking for on his phone.
A mobile phone and two computer hard drives were seized, and digital analysis revealed the large collection of illegal images.
A review of Roberts' internet history showed he actively searched for such material.
During police interviews, Roberts initially gave 'no comment' replies but later, after his devices had been examined, he provided a prepared statement.
In this statement, he claimed he had sought help for his internet use immediately after his arrest.
Roberts, 29, of Trawler Road, Swansea Marina, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images categorized as A, B, and C.
At sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas QC stated, "No decent person could view the images you downloaded and feel anything other than disgust and revulsion; yet you derived sexual pleasure from them." The judge emphasized that such actions contribute to ongoing child sexual abuse worldwide.
"Because of people like you, children are suffering in ways that can affect them for life.
You fuel this evil trade," he added.
Following sentencing guidelines and considering his guilty pleas, Judge Thomas determined the appropriate sentence was 16 months in prison.
He noted, however, that Roberts' efforts to address his behavior indicated potential for rehabilitation, allowing for the possibility of a suspended sentence.
Roberts was therefore sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years.
As part of his sentence, he is required to complete a community sex offenders course, participate in a rehabilitation program, and undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.
Additionally, Roberts will be registered as a sex offender for the next 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order restricting his internet access for the same period.
