PAUL HAYES FROM ROYTON CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN SHOCKING CASE

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Royton, an individual named Paul Hayes was found to be in possession of illegal child abuse images. The incident came to light in April 2021 when authorities revealed the details of a police operation that uncovered the disturbing material on Hayes's devices.

According to reports, police officers executed a search warrant at Hayes's residence in Royton in January 2019. Initially, Hayes was not at home, prompting officers to visit his place of employment, where they successfully located him. During the raid, law enforcement officials seized multiple electronic devices, including a laptop and several mobile phones, which were later subjected to detailed forensic analysis.

When questioned during the investigation, Hayes admitted ownership of the devices. He provided the PIN codes for the devices but insisted that there was nothing incriminating on them. Hayes claimed that he had only searched for prohibited material once and had not engaged in such activity again. Despite his assertions, the evidence uncovered painted a far more troubling picture.

Prosecutor Anthony Williams outlined the findings from the forensic searches, revealing the extent of the illegal material stored on Hayes’s devices. The police discovered a total of 56 images classified as Category A, which is the most severe classification involving the most explicit and abusive content. Of these, five images were accessible to Hayes, while 51 were stored but inaccessible. Additionally, there were 31 Category B images, with one accessible and 36 inaccessible, along with 34 Category C images, three of which were accessible and 31 inaccessible. The investigation also uncovered 19 prohibited images of children, with 18 accessible and one inaccessible.

Further examination showed that Hayes had installed software capable of deleting such material, but there was no evidence to suggest that he had used it to erase the images. The offences were traced back to activities that began in July 2015, indicating a prolonged period of illegal activity.

Hayes, who resides on Oldham Road in Royton, faced multiple charges, including three counts of downloading images classified as Category A, B, and C, as well as possessing prohibited images. He appeared in court to face sentencing, with his defense counsel Leonard Bernstein highlighting his lack of prior convictions, good character, and his age of 51.

Judge Sophie McKone delivered her verdict, emphasizing the gravity of the offence. She stated, “In order for you to have images like that, children are abused, and they are abused to supply the market for people like you. So you are playing your part in the abuse of children.”

As a result, the judge suspended an 18-month prison sentence, which means Hayes will not serve time immediately but must adhere to certain conditions. These include attending 24 days of rehabilitation programs and completing 180 hours of unpaid community work. Additionally, Hayes was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing risk to the community.