A pensioner in possession of disturbing images of children as young as three has been uncovered, following an interaction with an undercover police officer he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. John Evans, aged 70, residing in Culverhouse Cross, initiated contact with what he presumed was a young girl named Chloe on social media, but instead, it was a decoy. Subsequently, on April 25, 2022, the defendant was arrested at his workplace. During a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court, it was revealed that Evans’ phone and two laptops were confiscated, exposing indecent images of children. The seized devices contained 32 category A images, 15 category B images, 83 category C images, and 45 extreme pornographic images.
Prosecutor Christopher Evans vividly described several of the images viewed by the defendant, including the rape of a child between three and five years old. Initially providing no comment during his police interview, Evans later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and possessing extreme pornographic images. Despite his previous good character, Evans struggled to come to terms with his actions, with his solicitor Stephen Thomas stating that he was “embarrassed and deeply ashamed” of his behaviour.
Presiding Judge Vanessa Francis remarked that the images depicted “the sexual abuse of children in the most extreme form,” highlighting the real harm caused to children in such situations. Evans received a suspended eight-month prison sentence for two years, with additional requirements to undergo a 10-day rehabilitation activity, perform unpaid work, and pay costs of £150. He was also subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and required to comply with sex offender notification requirements for a decade.