NATHAN LONG'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN SOUTHAMPTON: CHILD ABUSE AND ONLINE PREDATION REVEALED
In May 2017, a disturbing case emerged from Southampton involving Nathan Long, a man whose actions have sent shockwaves through the community due to the severity of his crimes related to child exploitation and online predation.Long, aged 27 at the time, was sentenced to five years in prison after a series of heinous offenses came to light.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Long had downloaded approximately 5,000 indecent images of children, a staggering number that underscores the extent of his illicit activities.
In addition to possessing these images, he also distributed around 900 of them, further demonstrating his active involvement in the circulation of child abuse material.
The court was informed that Long engaged in online conversations with others who shared similar disturbing interests.
Prosecutor Rob Griffiths detailed that Long admitted to chatting with a girl from Coventry, whom he believed to be only nine years old.
However, there was uncertainty about whether this girl was genuinely a child or an adult posing as one, a common tactic among online predators.
During these exchanges, the girl claimed she had been abused throughout her life, a statement that appeared to provide Long with sexual gratification.
Furthermore, Long discussed the possibility of meeting the girl in person, although he insisted he would never have followed through with such plans.
Despite this denial, he convinced her to send him an inappropriate photograph, adding to the gravity of his offenses.
Long pleaded guilty to 23 charges, which included three counts of breaching a sexual prevention order (SPO), seven counts of possessing indecent images, ten counts of distributing such images, one charge of possessing an image of a child, and one count of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
It was revealed that Long had been subject to an indefinite SPO since July 2014, following a previous two-year sentence for 35 offenses related to making and distributing indecent images of children.
His online activities also included posing as a young girl to communicate with other paedophiles on internet chat rooms, further illustrating his manipulative and predatory behavior.
When police officers visited Long’s residence in January 2016, they uncovered a number of undeclared devices capable of accessing the internet.
A detailed examination of his electronic devices revealed a disturbing collection of visual material.
The police found 76 Category A videos, 22 Category B videos, and five additional Category A videos, along with 16 videos involving bestiality.
The still images were equally disturbing, with 833 in Category A, 946 in Category B, and 3,057 in Category C, plus 83 involving bestiality.
These images depicted children as young as six months old, highlighting the severity and depravity of the material Long possessed.
Judge Nicholas Rowland emphasized the seriousness of Long’s actions, particularly the incident involving the nine-year-old girl.
The judge stated, “I have seen the chat log which shows what you were doing to that child, encouraging her to send an image of herself.
You accepted you were involved in group chats with others with sexual interests in children.
The fantasies which you had indulged in were extreme.
There were communications about certain fantasies that referenced the abduction, rape and possible murder of children.
An immediate sentence is required for the protection of the public.” Earlier, in August 2014, Long had posed as a young girl online to communicate with older men and exchange images, further illustrating his pattern of predatory behavior.
The police investigation was initiated after Microsoft provided details of an email account linked to Long, which was used to download child pornography.
Upon arrest, Long confessed responsibility for the account and the activities associated with it.
His computer and iPhone were seized for analysis, revealing a collection of disturbing content, including 76 Category A videos, 22 Category B videos, and five Category A videos, along with 16 videos involving bestiality.
The images and videos depicted children as young as six months old, with a total of 83 involving bestiality.
Long admitted to using the online site for up to two years, despite knowing it was wrong, after receiving an initial image from someone else.
He described how he had posed as a 13-year-old girl to communicate with older men and had traded images with them.
Prosecutor Rachel Robertson highlighted that Long had discussed the kidnapping, rape, and murder of children and had encouraged others to act on these fantasies, claiming that his own abuse of children was purely fantasy.
At the sentencing hearing, Recorder Nicholas Haggan QC sentenced Long to two years in prison for 35 charges related to possession and distribution of indecent images.
Upon release, Long was ordered to attend a probation-run internet sex offenders program.
Additionally, he was given a sexual offenders prevention order that will remain in effect indefinitely, banned from working with children, and placed on the sex offenders register.
In mitigation, Long’s defense attorney, Mark Florida-James, described him as a depressed and lonely individual, expressing that he was terrified of going to prison.
It was also noted that Long had previously been of good character, which was considered during sentencing.
However, the court’s primary concern remained the protection of the public from his dangerous and predatory behavior.
