January 2019 ‘Professional paedophile’ jailed after stash of almost 80,000 indecent images found A man described by police as a “professional paedophile” has been jailed after being found in possession of thousands of indecent images of children. Paul Baumanis, of High Street, Saltney, Flintshire, was jailed for 16 months after admitting making nearly 80,000 indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images/videos of children and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals at Chester Magistrates’ Court on December, 21 last year. The case against Baumanis began when Cheshire police became aware that he was registered on a social media site that had previously been used to share child sexual exploitation material. After looking into the intelligence received, officers executed a warrant at Baumanis’ previous home in Western Avenue, Blacon, Chester, on June 1, 2018. They arrested him on suspicion of making, possessing and sharing indecent images of children and seized his internet enabled devices and computer hardware. Forensic examination of these revealed that between October 1 2007 and June 1 2018 Baumanis had made 77,433 indecent images and videos of children being sexually exploited, including 284 of category A (the most serious type), and possessed 13 extreme pornographic images involving dogs. Baumanis was subsequently charged with the offences and pleaded guilty. In addition to his custodial sentence, Baumanis was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and has to pay a £140 victim surcharge.