DAVID REANEY SPARED JAIL IN LLANELLI AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In August 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving David Reaney, a man from Llanelli, who was found in possession of indecent images of children. The incident came to light just a few months after Reaney had already been convicted of similar offences, raising serious concerns about his ongoing predatory behavior.

According to reports from Swansea Crown Court, the investigation began when police officers were conducting inquiries into an unrelated matter. During their investigation, they took a witness statement from Reaney, who was then 51 years old. As part of their routine examination, law enforcement officials scrutinized his mobile phone and discovered a troubling collection of images—38 in total. Among these, six were classified as extreme Category A images, which are considered the most severe and disturbing.

Further searches of Reaney’s residence, located at Cwrt-y-Wern, Lawrence Terrace, Llanelli, yielded additional evidence. Officers seized a laptop computer, on which they found five more indecent images of children. The investigation also revealed details of his internet search history, indicating the specific types of images he was seeking online. This evidence painted a clear picture of his ongoing engagement with illegal and exploitative material.

Reaney’s criminal history was already extensive. In May 2015, police had examined his phone and uncovered 17 offences related to making and possessing indecent images of children. He had pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing such images and had also breached a Sexual Offences Prevention Order previously imposed on him. His prior conviction underscored the seriousness of his offending behavior.

During the sentencing hearing, Reaney’s legal representative, John Allchurch, explained that the probation service had assessed his client’s risk of re-offending as high. He also stated that Reaney was scheduled to begin a community-based sex offenders programme “in the near future,” indicating a recognition of the need for treatment and rehabilitation.

However, the court was acutely aware of the public’s likely disgust at the nature of the images Reaney possessed. Recorder Gregory Bull QC addressed this directly, emphasizing that the images were deeply disturbing and that the public would be appalled. Despite this, the judge acknowledged that sending Reaney to prison would not necessarily address the underlying issues driving his behavior. Instead, he opted for a sentence that balanced punishment with the opportunity for treatment.

Consequently, Reaney was sentenced to a total of two years in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years. He was also given 18 months of supervision and placed under an indefinite Sex Offenders Prevention Order. Additionally, he will remain on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions aimed at protecting the community from further harm.