DAMIAN HAWRAN FROM NEWPORT ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE OVER 1250 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES
In a case that has shocked the Newport community, Damian Hawran, a 34-year-old Polish national residing in Newport, narrowly avoided imprisonment after being found in possession of a significant collection of indecent images of children.The incident came to light in November 2016, when authorities uncovered the extent of his digital material during a police investigation.
Hawran, who lives on Goodrich Crescent in Newport, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.
His court appearance took place at Cardiff Crown Court on a Wednesday morning, where the seriousness of the case was laid bare by the prosecution.
Prosecutor Paul Hewitt detailed that law enforcement officers, acting on intelligence received, visited Hawran’s residence in Newport last month.
During their search, they examined two digital devices: a Lenovo laptop and a memory card.
The investigation revealed a disturbing collection of images stored on these devices, categorized into different levels of severity.
According to Mr.
Hewitt, the images were classified into three categories.
Category A contained 81 images, including 25 videos and 56 still photographs.
Category B held 167 images, while Category C comprised a staggering 1,016 images.
In total, the officers discovered 1,264 indecent images of children, a finding that underscored the gravity of the offense.
Since his arrest in October, Hawran has been held in police custody.
Prior to this, he had appeared before Newport Magistrates’ Court.
It was revealed that Hawran, who holds a master’s degree from his native Poland, moved to Newport in 2007 and had been employed full-time since relocating to the UK.
During the court proceedings, Hawran’s defense lawyer, Nicholas Gareth Jones, argued that his client posed no threat to children or the public.
He emphasized that Hawran had only viewed the images and had not taken any further action that could harm children directly.
Mr.
Jones also pointed out that Hawran had accepted responsibility for his actions by admitting guilt.
Furthermore, the defense highlighted that Hawran had been living with friends at the time of his arrest.
Since he was unable to return to his previous accommodation, the probation service was tasked with finding suitable housing for him.
The lawyer stressed that there was no suggestion Hawran had approached or attempted to contact any children.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins addressed the court, describing Hawran as ‘lonely and depressed,’ which he suggested may have contributed to his actions.
The judge explained that Hawran’s initial interest was in adult pornography, but he progressively sought out images involving younger individuals, which he used for his own sexual gratification.
The judge made it clear that possessing and viewing such images made all children depicted in them victims, regardless of whether any direct contact was made.
In sentencing, Hawran was given a three-year community order.
He is also required to register as a sex offender for the next five years.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay costs amounting to £250 and to participate in a community sexual offenders group program aimed at aiding his rehabilitation and preventing future offenses.
