JAMES EVANS FROM CARDIFF SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING OVER 700 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN NEWPORT

In a serious case that has shocked the local community, James Evans, a 57-year-old man from Cardiff, has been sentenced to a year in prison after being found guilty of possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. The incident came to light during a court hearing at Newport Crown Court, where Evans appeared without showing any visible reaction as Judge Roderick Denyer delivered the verdict.

Evans, who previously resided in Bettws, pleaded guilty to six separate charges related to the possession of a total of 716 indecent images of minors. These images were discovered at his residence and included various levels of severity, with the first five counts involving 28 images classified as level four, which is considered highly serious. The remaining images fell into lower categories, specifically levels one and two, indicating less severe content.

Prosecutor Meirion Davies outlined the case, stating, “He tried to argue that the people in the pictures were over 16, but that is not accepted by the police. He accepted the images must be his but he could not account for them.” The police investigation revealed that the images were stored on CDs and on Evans’s computer, which were recovered from his former home at the Bettws Social Club, where he served as secretary.

It was also revealed that Evans had a prior conviction for indecent assault on a male, dating back to 1979, which added to the gravity of his current charges. During the hearing, Evans’s defense attorney, Andrew Jones, emphasized that there was no evidence of distribution or sharing of the images, and that Evans was assessed as having a low risk of re-offending in the future.

In sentencing, Judge Denyer ordered that Evans serve 12 months for each of the first five charges, with an additional six months for the less serious images. All sentences are to run concurrently, resulting in a total of 12 months in custody. Furthermore, Evans, who resides on the Hollybush Estate in Whitchurch, Cardiff, was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and was permanently banned from working with children.

Following the court proceedings, Gary Probert of Gwent Police’s computer crime unit commented, “People who possess this material are contributing to child abuse by their demand for it. The sentence sends out the message the court will deal with those in possession of these images.”

Local community figures also responded to the case. Bettws councillor Noel Trigg stated that Evans had resigned from his position as social club secretary immediately after the allegations surfaced. Trigg added, “He was well respected at the club and was always polite,” highlighting the community’s shock at the revelations about someone they had previously regarded as a trusted member.