LIAM DURNIAN FROM SOUTH SHIELDS JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SHARING

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of South Shields, Liam Durnian, a known sex offender, has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of sharing explicit images of children over the internet. The case highlights the ongoing issues surrounding online child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such heinous crimes.

It all began with a previous conviction when Durnian, then 22 years old, was involved in a disturbing incident in May 2016. During this incident, he sexually assaulted a woman at a bus stop by grabbing her and forcibly kissing her on the lips. The woman, in an attempt to defend herself, was forced to bite him in order to get him to release her. Despite the severity of this assault, Durnian was initially sentenced to a relatively lenient punishment, walking free from court but being ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for a period of five years.

However, the authorities’ concerns about Durnian’s activities did not end there. Later that same year, police officers visited his residence on Wesley Court in South Shields to conduct a routine check. During the questioning, Durnian made a startling confession when asked about his mobile phone, stating, “I may have images of children on it.” This admission prompted a search of his device, which ultimately uncovered a disturbing collection of indecent images and videos involving minors.

The police investigation revealed that Durnian’s phone contained a total of 120 illicit images and videos of children. Among these were 70 of the most serious kind, which involved penetrative sexual acts. The severity of these images underscored the gravity of his offending. Prosecutor Neil Pallister told the court that Durnian had also used search phrases such as “underage rape fantasy stories” and “pre-teen incest” to locate these disturbing materials, indicating a premeditated intent to seek out such content.

Further examination of Durnian’s social media activity uncovered that he had shared 14 indecent images with three other users on the Kik messaging platform. The investigation revealed that these images depicted females aged between six and eleven years old. The chat logs confirmed that conversations had taken place between Durnian and the other users, with exchanges of these illicit images, demonstrating a clear pattern of distribution and possession.

In court, the evidence was presented that Durnian’s device contained images of young girls in the age range of six to eleven years old, which he had shared with others. The court heard that Durnian had pleaded guilty to one count of distributing indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent images of children. His actions were considered a serious breach of trust and a violation of the community’s safety.

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced Durnian to 27 months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of his offences. She pointed out that his criminal behavior was made worse by the fact that these crimes were committed while he was already subject to a community order imposed in July 2016 for the earlier sexual assault. The judge’s decision reflects the gravity with which the court views the exploitation and abuse of children, especially when committed by individuals with prior convictions and known risks to the community.