THOMAS RAIN FROM HEXHAM SENTENCED IN PENRITH FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES DISCOVERED IN LAZONBY

A man from Hexham, Northumberland, identified as Thomas Rain, has been convicted and sentenced for possessing and sharing disturbing images of child abuse. The case unfolded after the National Crime Agency (NCA) traced an indecent image uploaded to Snapchat, leading to a police raid on Rain's residence. The investigation revealed a troubling collection of illicit material stored on his mobile device, prompting serious legal consequences.

Thomas Rain, aged 31, who was residing at Pine Grove, Lazonby, Penrith, appeared before Newcastle Crown Court on a recent Friday to face charges related to the creation and possession of indecent images. The offences took place in Hexham, Northumberland, over a period spanning from December 2021 to June 2023. Rain had entered a guilty plea to three counts of making indecent images of children, which significantly influenced the court proceedings.

Prosecutor Amber Walker detailed the sequence of events leading to Rain's arrest. She explained that on June 11, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to intelligence provided by the NCA indicating that an indecent image had been uploaded to Snapchat from Rain's account. The police traced the activity back to Rain's username and IP address, which confirmed his involvement. Following this, authorities executed a search warrant at his home, where they confiscated a Samsung mobile phone, a laptop, and a PlayStation console.

The devices contained a total of 20 indecent images depicting children aged between five and thirteen years old. Among these, three were classified as Category A, representing the most severe level of child abuse imagery. The remaining images fell into Categories B and C. Although Rain had been engaging in conversations with others on Snapchat, there was no evidence to suggest he had been actively sharing or distributing the images, the court was told.

During the hearing, Ms. Walker emphasized that Rain was of previously good character and highlighted that there was no indication of any distribution of the illicit images. She also noted that Rain had cooperated fully with police and that his family was supportive during the investigation.

Defense lawyer Mark Harrison addressed the court, stating that Rain had shown remorse by pleading guilty early and cooperating with authorities. He explained that Rain's addiction to pornography had escalated, leading him to view increasingly explicit material. Harrison mentioned that Rain was currently in a relationship, with his partner aware of his offending, and that he maintained employment. He stressed that Rain had no valid explanation for his behavior but was genuinely remorseful, describing his feelings of being