MATTHEW HATFIELD FROM BRYN-Y-BAAL JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN FLINTSHIRE AND MOLD
| Red Rose Database
Bryn-y-Baal Child Sexual Abuser
In January 2019, Matthew Hatfield, a 40-year-old resident of Bryn-y-Baal near Mold, was sentenced to a significant prison term after a series of disturbing offenses related to child exploitation and possession of indecent images. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior involving the possession and distribution of explicit material depicting minors, some of which had been altered with images from popular culture to obscure identities.
Hatfield was found guilty of breaching a sexual harm prevention order by deleting his internet browsing history on his laptop, which was part of an ongoing investigation into his online activities. Authorities uncovered that he possessed extreme pornography and prohibited images of children, some of which depicted minors aged between four and eight years old. The images included superimposed speech bubbles with highly explicit sexual comments, indicating a deeply unhealthy and disturbing interest.
The court heard that the offenses took place while Hatfield was in his bedroom, and the search of his devices revealed search terms that pointed to an obsession with incest and sexual relations involving very young children. District Judge Gwyn Jones, presiding over the case at Mold, emphasized the seriousness of the offenses, stating that the report from the probation service showed Hatfield did not seem to grasp the gravity of his actions.
During the proceedings, it was disclosed that Hatfield had previously worked with probation services and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse. However, the court was told that his engagement with these programs appeared superficial, and he merely went through the motions without genuine remorse or understanding.
In October 2017, police visited Hatfield’s home to monitor his devices. During this visit, he fetched his laptop, which displayed a screensaver featuring two 10-year-old girls, whom he claimed were from the TV show “Little House on the Prairie” and were now adults. The police subsequently seized his laptop and examined his mobile phone, uncovering further evidence of his disturbing interests.
It was also noted that Hatfield’s mental health issues contributed to his obsessive behaviors, although he had been gradually shifting his focus from illegal images to legal ones, and he was reportedly becoming more active within the community. Despite this, the court acknowledged the significant delay in bringing the case to trial, which was taken into account during sentencing.
Earlier in December 2018, Hatfield appeared at North East Wales Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including possessing 23 indecent images of children at Category C level, breaching his sexual harm prevention order, and possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a human and a dog. He also admitted to possessing four prohibited images of children. The court was informed that these offenses breached a previous 12-week suspended prison sentence, which had been imposed two years earlier.
His defense argued that Hatfield suffered from significant health issues, and a pre-sentence report was ordered to better understand his circumstances. The court’s investigation revealed that, in November 2016, Hatfield had been found with thousands of indecent images on his computer, including over 1,000 categorized images and a vast collection of unclassified material, totaling approximately 240,000 images. Prosecutor Rhian Jackson described this as a “very large collection of child abuse images.”
Further examination uncovered that Hatfield had previously been cautioned by police for possessing such images. His arrest was triggered when he took his laptop for repair, and staff at the shop noticed file names indicative of child abuse material, prompting police involvement. During police interviews, Hatfield expressed disturbing beliefs, including a belief that viewing such images was not illegal and that the individuals who uploaded them were at fault. He also wrote a story about a sexual offense involving a five-year-old girl, further highlighting his troubling mindset.
Although Hatfield had no prior convictions before these incidents, he had received a police caution in 2009 for possessing five indecent images of children. The court acknowledged his disabilities but also recognized his technological skills, which facilitated his access to illegal material. The case was retained in the magistrates’ court for sentencing, with a pre-sentence report ordered to determine appropriate penalties.
Hatfield was found guilty of breaching a sexual harm prevention order by deleting his internet browsing history on his laptop, which was part of an ongoing investigation into his online activities. Authorities uncovered that he possessed extreme pornography and prohibited images of children, some of which depicted minors aged between four and eight years old. The images included superimposed speech bubbles with highly explicit sexual comments, indicating a deeply unhealthy and disturbing interest.
The court heard that the offenses took place while Hatfield was in his bedroom, and the search of his devices revealed search terms that pointed to an obsession with incest and sexual relations involving very young children. District Judge Gwyn Jones, presiding over the case at Mold, emphasized the seriousness of the offenses, stating that the report from the probation service showed Hatfield did not seem to grasp the gravity of his actions.
During the proceedings, it was disclosed that Hatfield had previously worked with probation services and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse. However, the court was told that his engagement with these programs appeared superficial, and he merely went through the motions without genuine remorse or understanding.
In October 2017, police visited Hatfield’s home to monitor his devices. During this visit, he fetched his laptop, which displayed a screensaver featuring two 10-year-old girls, whom he claimed were from the TV show “Little House on the Prairie” and were now adults. The police subsequently seized his laptop and examined his mobile phone, uncovering further evidence of his disturbing interests.
It was also noted that Hatfield’s mental health issues contributed to his obsessive behaviors, although he had been gradually shifting his focus from illegal images to legal ones, and he was reportedly becoming more active within the community. Despite this, the court acknowledged the significant delay in bringing the case to trial, which was taken into account during sentencing.
Earlier in December 2018, Hatfield appeared at North East Wales Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including possessing 23 indecent images of children at Category C level, breaching his sexual harm prevention order, and possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a human and a dog. He also admitted to possessing four prohibited images of children. The court was informed that these offenses breached a previous 12-week suspended prison sentence, which had been imposed two years earlier.
His defense argued that Hatfield suffered from significant health issues, and a pre-sentence report was ordered to better understand his circumstances. The court’s investigation revealed that, in November 2016, Hatfield had been found with thousands of indecent images on his computer, including over 1,000 categorized images and a vast collection of unclassified material, totaling approximately 240,000 images. Prosecutor Rhian Jackson described this as a “very large collection of child abuse images.”
Further examination uncovered that Hatfield had previously been cautioned by police for possessing such images. His arrest was triggered when he took his laptop for repair, and staff at the shop noticed file names indicative of child abuse material, prompting police involvement. During police interviews, Hatfield expressed disturbing beliefs, including a belief that viewing such images was not illegal and that the individuals who uploaded them were at fault. He also wrote a story about a sexual offense involving a five-year-old girl, further highlighting his troubling mindset.
Although Hatfield had no prior convictions before these incidents, he had received a police caution in 2009 for possessing five indecent images of children. The court acknowledged his disabilities but also recognized his technological skills, which facilitated his access to illegal material. The case was retained in the magistrates’ court for sentencing, with a pre-sentence report ordered to determine appropriate penalties.