ANTOINE BRUEL AND CHESTER: CHILD ABUSE IMAGES SHAME OF AIRBUS 'HIGH FLYER'

In October 2014, Antoine Bruel, a 26-year-old employee of Airbus, was spared jail after admitting to creating and distributing indecent images of children. Bruel, a French national, was working in the human resources department at the Airbus wing-making plant in Broughton when police linked him to an online paedophile network.

His arrest followed an investigation into a separate online case involving another user distributing images of children via Skype, Chester Crown Court heard. Bruel pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, five counts of distributing such images, and one count of possessing indecent images, after his arrest in November of the previous year.

Prosecutor Peter Hussey stated that police found a total of 975 indecent images on Bruel’s computer during a search at his home. These images, which included both stills and videos showing children being sexually abused, were classified as some of the most serious category of such material.

Originally from Seller Street, Boughton, Chester, Bruel was described as a “high-flyer” in his career and admitted his wrongdoing to police. He expressed deep shame for his actions.

Bruel resigned from Airbus in February and returned to France to live with his parents and start therapy, as reported by defense lawyer Brendan Rogers, who explained that Bruel was seeking to understand his motivations.

Mr. Hussey added that Bruel fully confessed to police about his involvement in a Skype paedophile network, confirming that he had downloaded images and shared them with others within that community.

During the sentencing, Mr. Rogers highlighted a pre-sentence report that aimed to provide insight into Bruel’s potential motivations. He remarked, “Here we have a 26-year-old man with a good job, a high-flyer in his career. He enjoyed his work at Airbus, but there appears to be a darker side to him. He does not seek to make excuses and is deeply ashamed.”

Judge Elgan Edwards of Chester Crown Court sentenced Bruel to three years in prison, suspended for two years. The judge stated, “It is a tragedy to see someone of your age in the dock, someone with no previous convictions and a promising career. What you did, especially the distribution of those images, must repulse any right-thinking member of society. These images of young children being abused are shocking, and the fact they can be viewed for pleasure is quite concerning.”

Bruel was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and was subject to a sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits him from working with children.