ABERGELE MAN MARTIN MORLAND HINE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE OFFENSES IN NORTH WALES

In a serious case that has shocked the community of Abergele, Martin Morland Hine, a 33-year-old resident of Holland Drive, was sentenced to serve two years in prison after being found guilty of possessing, making, and distributing indecent images of children. The court heard that Morland Hine’s actions involved a disturbing collection of illicit material, which included a total of 1,740 still images and 40 videos depicting minors in various states of abuse.

During the proceedings at Caernarfon Crown Court, the prosecution detailed how Morland Hine had sent an image of a fully dressed young girl, who was known to him, to an individual identified as a paedophile. The court was told that Morland Hine initially claimed he had engaged in abusing the child himself, but later he admitted to police that his earlier statement was merely “bravado” aimed at impressing the stranger and obtaining more images. This revelation highlighted the extent of his disturbing behavior and his involvement in a wider network of child exploitation.

Judge Philip Hughes, presiding over the case, described Morland Hine’s interest as “unhealthy and worrying,” emphasizing the severity of his actions. The court also ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years and issued a sex offenders’ prevention order to restrict his future activities.

The investigation into Morland Hine’s activities began in May when police executed a search warrant at his residence. During the search, officers seized a mobile phone and various computer devices, which contained evidence of his illicit activities. Chat logs discovered on his devices revealed conversations involving the exchange of child pornography images. Morland Hine had used Dropbox to store these images and had expressed interest in girls as young as 13. He admitted to being addicted to pornography, which had escalated to viewing indecent images of children, some of which depicted children as young as two years old.

His defense lawyer, Michael Whitty, expressed remorse, stating that Morland Hine was “deeply ashamed” and embarrassed by his actions. Whitty explained that his client’s addiction to adult pornography, which began after a personal relationship breakdown, had progressively led him to seek out more extreme and illegal material, including images of children.

Overall, the case underscores the disturbing nature of Morland Hine’s offenses and the serious legal consequences he now faces, reflecting the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors in North Wales and beyond.