BARRY JONES CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORN IN PRENTON FLAT RAID

In September 2022, authorities uncovered disturbing evidence of child exploitation during a raid on the residence of Barry Jones, a resident of Prenton on the Wirral Peninsula. The police operation was triggered by intelligence indicating that Jones's IP address had been used to upload a category B indecent image to an online chatroom on two separate occasions, specifically on December 4, 2019, and March 20, 2020.

On the morning of November 19, 2020, Merseyside Police executed a search warrant at Jones's address on Woodchurch Road in Prenton. When officers arrived, they found that the property was in a deplorable state, with the floors covered in rubbish and clutter. Jones, who was the only person present at the time, responded to the police inquiry with a chilling question: “Is it about the porn?”

During the search, the officers discovered a collection of explicit materials and sex toys openly displayed in the bathroom, which was also littered with debris. The investigation revealed that Jones possessed an extensive collection of pornography, including highly disturbing images. Among the seized electronic devices, a USB drive contained 108 indecent images, including 19 classified as Category A, which depict the most severe forms of abuse involving young girls as young as two years old. Additionally, images of teenage children dressed provocatively in underwear were found.

Further examination of the devices uncovered extreme pornography involving animals, as well as 31 prohibited images of children, which were computer-generated. These were located on a Toshiba laptop and a Samsung computer. The authorities also found a small quantity of cannabis stored in a plastic tub, indicating possession for personal use.

Jones admitted to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images, possession of indecent images, possession of prohibited images of children, possession of extreme pornographic images, and possession of cannabis. His plea was accepted, and he was sentenced to a ten-month prison term, suspended for two years, on September 6, 2023. The judge, Recorder Mark Ainsworth, emphasized the seriousness of the offenses, stating that each image represented a child being sexually abused, and underscored the importance of the court’s stance against such crimes.

In his sentencing remarks, the judge acknowledged Jones’s guilty plea and the delay in resolving the case, but highlighted the need for a custodial sentence. He warned Jones that further offenses or failure to comply with court orders could result in immediate imprisonment. As part of his sentence, Jones was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, undertake a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days, and pay a victim surcharge. Additionally, he was issued a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, required to register as a sex offender for the same period, and ordered to forfeit the devices seized during the raid.