IAN WYNTER AND HIS HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE CRIMES IN LEICESTERSHIRE AND ASIA
A man from Leicestershire, Ian Wynter, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of heinous crimes related to child sexual exploitation and abuse across international borders.Wynter, aged 59, was found to have initiated and paid for the abuse of young children in several Asian countries, including the Philippines and Indonesia, with his criminal activities facilitated through online communications and financial transactions.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) conducted an extensive investigation which led to Wynter’s arrest in January 2020.
He was detained immediately upon arrival at Gatwick Airport after returning from Shanghai, China, where he had been residing and working.
During the arrest, authorities seized multiple electronic devices from Wynter, including mobile phones, a laptop, and an external hard drive.
These devices contained a vast amount of digital evidence, such as thousands of chat logs and images, revealing the extent of his disturbing online activities.
Further examination of Wynter’s electronic devices uncovered chat conversations with offenders from all over the world.
In these exchanges, Wynter openly identified himself as a ‘paedophile’ who was ‘sexually attracted to babies and toddlers’.
His online communications included detailed discussions about horrific fantasies involving the abuse of children.
Investigators found evidence that Wynter not only shared his own disturbing thoughts but also provided explicit guidance and advice to other offenders on how to carry out abuse and evade detection by authorities.
Particularly alarming was Wynter's online engagement during a trip to Thailand in 2020.
During this visit, he was involved in conversations with another known paedophile with the intent of finding a local child for abuse.
His financial transactions provided further insight into the sinister nature of his activities.
Financial records and chat logs revealed that Wynter paid a Filipino man to sexually abuse a two-year-old boy through video calls multiple times in 2019.
Video recordings made by Wynter showed him directing the abuse and requesting specific sexual acts via chat messages.
Additional messages indicated that the Filipino facilitator was experiencing financial hardship and needed money for essentials such as ‘milk and diapers’.
Wynter subsequently shared the contact details of another Filipino individual willing to participate in such abuse, promising to pay $125 upfront for an abusive show.
The Filipino man involved in these crimes was later sentenced in the Philippines to 15 years in prison, and local authorities successfully rescued the child involved.
Wynter’s crimes extended further internationally.
He also paid an individual in Indonesia for several video calls depicting him abusing a two-year-old boy in 2018.
The Indonesian facilitator claimed that the money would help him finance his educational diploma, illustrating the disturbing ways in which criminal motives were intertwined with personal aspirations.
The investigation uncovered a staggering collection of child pornography: Wynter’s devices contained approximately 17,000 indecent images of children, with about 6,000 classified as Category A, denoting the most severe abuse content.
Among these was a naked image of a child taken personally by Wynter himself.
Many of these illicit images were shared online as part of his ongoing exploitation and distribution network.
In June 2022, Ian Wynter pleaded guilty to 13 serious criminal charges.
These included multiple counts of encouraging and facilitating the sexual assault and rape of children under 13, as well as possession and distribution of indecent images of minors.
His sentencing came on November 9, 2022, at Leicester Crown Court, where he was handed a 25-year prison term.
Additionally, Wynter was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was registered as a sex offender to prevent any potential future offenses.
Tony Smith, a representative from the NCA, emphasized the gravity of Wynter’s crimes.
He remarked, “Ian Wynter is a prolific sexual offender who caused very young children to suffer the most horrendous abuse at the hands of willing facilitators, giving them specific direction and financial reward.
Wynter spoke with thousands of other predators online with whom he openly discussed his horrific sexual fantasies, and offered advice on carrying out abuse while avoiding detection.
This case is a key example of how predatory sexual offenders are using online platforms to target vulnerable children overseas, as well as to connect with other like-minded individuals.
Wynter’s sentence reflects the gravity of his worldwide offending and our commitment to bring him to justice.” Bethany Raine, a CPS Specialist Prosecutor, added, “Wynter demonstrated sickening depravity by paying adults to sexually abuse children in video calls and exploiting innocent children in other parts of the world.
This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA and international partners, will work to bring to justice those who sexually abuse and exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.
Working with our international partners we have also been able to help the Filipino courts jail one of the abusers Wynter encouraged in his appalling search for sexual gratification.”
