WAYNE MCEWAN FROM BATH CAUGHT WITH 149 INDECENT CHILD IMAGES IN SHOCKING POLICE RAID

Currently employed at McDonalds at Weston Lock, Twerton, Bath.

In March 2017, a man from Bath named Wayne McEwan, aged 43, faced serious criminal charges after being found guilty of possessing a significant collection of indecent images of children. The conviction followed a detailed investigation and a six-hour trial at Bath Magistrates' Court, which revealed disturbing details about the case.

Authorities executed a warrant under the Child Protection Act on October 10 at McEwan’s residence on Glebe Road, Bath. The police raid uncovered evidence that linked McEwan to the possession of these illicit images. The night before the raid, it was alleged that McEwan transferred the images onto a mobile application called Photo Locker, which is known for allowing users to hide images behind a password. The court heard that the images, which depicted young girls wearing thongs, were organized into two folders titled 'Bum' and 'Tricksy'.

Prosecutor Kevin Withy explained that the investigation was initiated based on intelligence received by Avon and Somerset police, specifically from their internet child abuse team. This intelligence led to an inquiry that traced the IP address associated with McEwan’s home in Glebe Road, confirming his connection to the illegal material.

At the police’s high-tech crime unit located in Kenneth Steele House, Bristol, investigators examined McEwan’s home computer and Samsung mobile device. On the phone, they discovered 144 indecent images stored within the Photo Locker app. Mr. Withy clarified that the app’s purpose is to store images in a concealed manner, accessible only with a PIN, which was not known to the police. An additional five Category C images were also recovered from a different section of the device.

During cross-examination, defense solicitor Matthew Graham questioned the police officer about how the images came to be on McEwan’s phone. The officer, Michael Bangham, responded that he had no knowledge of how the images were initially placed there. He explained that the images would have had to be manually transferred into the Photo Locker app, which, according to his analysis, occurred between 9:45 pm on October 9 and 1:35 am on October 10. Graham pointed out that there was no evidence to suggest how the images arrived on the device, implying that their presence could have been accidental. However, Mr. Bangham confirmed that the manual transfer could not have been accidental, indicating deliberate action.

Further testimony from police officers classified the images as Category C, which involves the least severe form of illegal material. The images depicted young girls, some of whom were described as being between six and eight years old, with some photographs showing them in suggestive poses, such as standing in shower cubicles or lying on the floor in stilettos, exposing their bottoms. Other images included girls aged 10-12 and 13-15, with some featuring nudity and sexualized poses.

McEwan, who had no prior convictions or cautions, was interviewed at Keynsham Police Centre on November 18. During the interview, he denied any knowledge of the images, claiming that he did not possess such material and suggesting that his device might have been hacked. He stated, “Well I don’t know anything about it do I? I’ve been hacked or whatever. I’ve never come across any indecent images of children and I wouldn’t know how to find them. All of my photos are on my camera roll. I don’t have anything to hide. I don’t even have a pin. I have got no [sexual] interest in children.”

He further claimed that the images could have been placed on his device by viruses or external interference, asserting that he believed someone else might have accessed his phone remotely. McEwan expressed distress over the situation, emphasizing the impact on his family and maintaining his innocence, saying, “Someone has screwed me over. I will go to my death bed with my last breath. I know I’m innocent, that’s keeping me going.”

Details of the investigation revealed that McEwan had downloaded the Photo Locker app on September 30 at 9:34 am. At that time, he and his wife, Jennie, were reportedly shopping in Iceland in Bath city centre for his partially blind mother. The illicit images were transferred onto the app between the evening of October 9 and early hours of October 10, during which McEwan claimed he was watching television with his wife and children in their living room.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Kevin Withy questioned McEwan about the possibility of him viewing such material in the presence of his family. McEwan firmly denied this, stating, “No way. I wouldn’t view anything like that if I was on my own or with them. No way. Impossible.”

McEwan’s wife, Jennie, testified that she went to bed around midnight on October 9, leaving her husband awake. She described him as sleeping and snoring when she went upstairs, suggesting he was not awake during the transfer of the images. The prosecution highlighted that it was a matter of technical fact that the images had to be manually moved to the Photo Locker app, which only McEwan had access to, and that his wife would have had no reason to interfere.

Prosecutor Withy emphasized the seriousness of the crime, stating, “This is not a victimless crime. These children are abused for the pleasure of people like Mr. McEwan. Most of us have secrets. The defendant has a dark secret but it’s not a secret anymore.”

In sentencing, McEwan was ordered to pay a total of £850, including £775 in court costs and a £75 victim surcharge. He was also sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid community work, mandated to register as a sex offender for five years, and his phone was to be confiscated and destroyed. The court’s verdict underscores the gravity of possessing and distributing such illegal images, and the ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation.