MARK STONEMAN FROM RHOOSE SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In December 2014, a disturbing case unfolded at Cardiff Crown Court involving Mark Stoneman, a 34-year-old man from Porthkerry Caravan Park in Rhoose. Stoneman was convicted and subsequently sentenced to prison after authorities uncovered a substantial collection of child abuse images stored on his electronic devices.

Stoneman had pleaded with the court to consider a community-based treatment program instead of a custodial sentence, arguing that he wished to address his issues through rehabilitation. However, Judge William Gaskell dismissed this request, emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed. The judge stated, "I’m afraid that is an approach that is not only not attractive, but not likely," and sentenced Stoneman to 16 months behind bars.

The investigation into Stoneman’s activities was part of a nationwide police operation known as Operation Notarise, which targeted individuals involved in sharing and trading child pornography via peer-to-peer networks. During the course of the inquiry, authorities identified Stoneman as a subscriber to one such website. This led to his arrest and the seizure of his home computer, iPhone, and tablet.

Analysis of these devices revealed a disturbing collection of illegal material. Police found 235 photographs and 89 videos depicting children being subjected to abuse. Among these, 38 photographs and 54 videos were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe and explicit content. Additionally, officers recovered 71 images of extreme pornography, further highlighting the disturbing nature of the material.

Initially, Stoneman refused to cooperate with police, giving a 'no comment' response during interviews. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to all charges brought against him. His defense lawyer, Tim Naylor, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, "There isn’t much in the way of mitigation, given the horrific material on his computer, phone, and tablet. This was a bad period of his life where he was using alcohol and drugs, both of which he has resolved his issues with."

During the court proceedings, Stoneman explained that his initial interest in the images stemmed from curiosity, which then escalated into a compulsive behavior. He expressed remorse, saying, "He thought, ‘What if it was his own children in those images?’ He realized that what he was viewing was actual abuse, something he did not recognize at the time. He’s ashamed and disgusted with himself."

Despite his plea for leniency to undergo a three-year community treatment program for sexual offenders, Judge Gaskell made it clear that the sentence would be jail time. The judge detailed some of the horrific images Stoneman had viewed, emphasizing that he had downloaded these images for sexual gratification without regard for the suffering of the victims. "You watched these children being abused for your pleasure," the judge stated. "You gave no mind to the fact that you were watching children who were being raped, who were the victims of sexual offences."

Furthermore, the judge pointed out that Stoneman’s criminal record included previous convictions for burglary, actual bodily harm (ABH), drink driving, and battery. As part of his sentence, Stoneman was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, have his internet and computer use monitored upon release, and pay a surcharge of £100. The court made it clear that no character references would mitigate the seriousness of his crimes, stating, "You aren’t one."