JASON MOORE FROM POWYS SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES IN BRONLYS AND MERTHYR TIDFIL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Powys, Jason Moore, a known sex offender, has been sentenced to serve time in prison after being found guilty of possessing and attempting to conceal a large collection of highly disturbing images depicting child sexual abuse.

Moore, who previously used the alias Leon Barry Shinkwin during his May 2023 conviction, appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court to face charges related to the possession of offensive images. The court heard that he was found with a total of 122 images classified as Category A, which are considered the most severe and disturbing, along with 47 Category B images and 231 Category C images. These images included still photographs depicting the rape and sexual abuse of a young girl aged between two and four years old.

The court was informed that Moore’s actions constituted a clear breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that had been imposed on him back in 2017. This breach was a significant aggravating factor in his sentencing. Recorder R Philpotts presided over the case and detailed the events leading up to Moore’s arrest, including a police visit to his residence in Neuadd Terrace, Bronllys, on April 30, 2022.

Dyfed-Powys Police officers arrived at Moore’s home to conduct a routine check on his devices and internet activity. When they knocked on his door, Moore claimed he was in the process of getting dressed, but it took him five minutes to open the door, raising suspicions that he might have been attempting to delete incriminating evidence from his devices. Upon entering the property, officers discovered gaps in the internet browsing history on one of his devices, which further suggested tampering.

Screen captures from the device revealed eight Category A images, along with 11 Category B and 60 Category C images. Moore was subsequently interviewed in October 2022, during which he denied deleting his internet history, claiming that he had lost other devices during a night out in Cardiff. Despite his denial, the police investigation uncovered more evidence.

Officers also visited Moore’s workplace but were unable to access his locker, which he had emptied and removed from the premises by the time they returned the following day. CCTV footage obtained during the investigation showed Moore using a phone, but that device was never recovered. It was only in November 2022, six months after his initial arrest, that authorities found a third device containing an additional 114 Category A images, including graphic depictions of the rape of a girl between two and four years old by two men. This device also held 36 Category B images and 171 Category C images.

Throughout the investigation, Moore maintained that he had not deleted any internet history, asserting that doing so would breach his SHPO. However, the court found that his efforts to hide the device by clearing out his locker and removing evidence constituted a new breach of the order.

In his defense, Moore’s lawyer, Nick Gedge, requested a reduction of 25 percent from his sentence, citing his early guilty plea and the fact that he had not reoffended in the two years following his arrest. Gedge also appealed for leniency so that Moore could participate in the Horizon rehabilitation programme for sex offenders, which he argued would aid in his rehabilitation.

Ultimately, the court sentenced Jason Moore to 15 months in prison for his offences, emphasizing the severity of his actions and the breach of trust involved. The case has once again highlighted the ongoing concerns surrounding the possession and distribution of child abuse images, especially among individuals with prior convictions in Powys and the surrounding areas.