DEAN HARPER FROM YSTRAD MEURIG SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENCES

In June 2018, Dean Harper, a 61-year-old resident of Ystrad Meurig in Ceredigion, was convicted and sentenced to prison for serious offences related to child exploitation and indecent images. The case came to light after Dyfed-Powys Police executed a search warrant at Harper’s home following intelligence reports indicating his involvement in uploading and sharing illegal images of children online.

During the police raid, officers discovered a computer tower concealed within Harper’s wardrobe, which prompted further investigation. The seized electronic devices, including a laptop and a mobile phone, were handed over to the Digital Communications and Cyber Crime Unit (DCCU) for forensic analysis. Experts meticulously examined the hard drives and digital storage media to uncover Harper’s online activities.

Investigators uncovered a disturbing pattern of behaviour. Through detailed analysis of messenger conversations, they found that Harper had downloaded over 1,300 indecent images of children, ranging from Category A, which represents the most severe and explicit material, to Category C. Some of these images had been actively shared or distributed by Harper himself. The evidence also revealed that Harper was engaging in chat room conversations with individuals claiming to be young girls as young as 10 years old. During these exchanges, he persistently asked them to send him sexually explicit images.

Following legal advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Harper was formally charged with six counts of making or distributing indecent images of a child. Additionally, he faced a charge of attempting to incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity. The case was brought before the courts, and on Friday, June 22, Harper was sentenced to two years in prison. As part of his sentence, he was also placed on the sex offenders register and subjected to a sexual harm prevention order that will remain in effect for ten years, aiming to restrict his future activities and protect the community from potential harm.