LIVERPOOL MAN CAUGHT WITH 237 INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN GETS JAIL
A man involved in child exploitation using advanced methods to evade police detection was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today.The court was informed that Adam Johnston, 30, residing on Ampthill Road in Aigburth, employed a VPN service to conceal his computer’s IP address and used a TOR browser, which prevents tracking of online activity.
Previously, Johnston had admitted to four charges of creating and possessing indecent images and videos of children during an earlier court session.
On June 21, 2019, officers visited Johnston’s residence in Liverpool City Centre and recovered a laptop and a pen drive containing 237 illegal images of minors, created between March 15, 2015, and July 19, 2018.
Of these, 142 were classified as Category A—indicating the highest level of severity—including images depicting children as young as 12 to 18 months old.
The remaining 185 images were categorized as B and C.
Johnston had a criminal record with eight previous convictions for 23 offenses spanning from 2004 to 2011.
Defending, Mr.
Killen explained that Johnston wished to "leave his past behind," but he relapsed, attributing this to drinking alone, which caused him to revert to previous behaviors.
He also stated that Johnston was "a good candidate for rehabilitation" and that imprisonment could severely harm his chances of proper training and housing, increasing the risk of reoffending.
During sentencing, Judge Warnock highlighted the gravity of the crimes, stating, "those children were as young as 12 to 18 months old." Johnston was sentenced to 12 months in prison and issued a sexual harm prevention order lasting a decade.
The court acknowledged his use of sophisticated technology to thwart investigations and affirmed, "It is clear that you retain a sexual interest in young children and I have an obligation to protect the public."
