BRENDEN TAYLOR

A teenager from Burnley, aged 18 and formerly known as Brenden Wyer, received a community sentence after being found with over 450 images of child sexual abuse on his electronic devices.

Authorities from Lancashire Police responded to his residence on Simpson Street in Burnley following an inquiry initiated by child protection agencies.

In June 2022, Wyer was taken into custody at his home after his mother allowed police into the property.

At the time, the individual was 17 years old.

Prosecutors stated that police uncovered a total of 461 explicit images involving children on Wyer’s mobile phone and laptop, which included both photographs and videos, some of infants as young as six months old, as well as images involving bestiality.

Wyer admitted to three charges of creating indecent images of a child and possessing explicit material depicting sexual acts with an animal.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Daniel Prowse ordered Wyer to complete three years of community service, including 20 days of rehabilitation activities, and issued a sexual harm prevention order.

The judge pointed out the grave nature of the images Wyer had accessed and expressed concern over the influence such material could have on real-world abuse incidents.

Additionally, the judge took into account Wyer's autism and his mother’s terminal illness, indicating that community-based rehabilitation might be appropriate given these factors.