CHRISTOPHER HAYES FROM PONTLLANFRAITH SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES BUT SENTENCE CUT BY JUDGES

In a case that has drawn significant attention, Christopher Hayes, a 45-year-old resident of Gelli Lane, Pontllanfraith, near Blackwood, was found to have repeatedly accessed and possessed child abuse images on his computer, leading to multiple court appearances and a complex legal saga. The series of events highlights the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement and the judiciary in dealing with individuals involved in such heinous crimes.

Hayes’s criminal history concerning child abuse images began in March 2011, when he was caught downloading indecent material. Despite receiving a community order at that time, he failed to reform, and within a year, he committed further offences. His breach of the sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) led police to his residence in August 2014, where they discovered hundreds of images of child abuse stored on his laptop. This discovery prompted further investigation, and in February of the following year, authorities returned to Hayes’s home after he admitted to pawning another laptop. When the second device was retrieved, even more disturbing images were uncovered, confirming his continued involvement in possessing illegal material.

Hayes was subsequently charged with three counts of possessing indecent images of children, which constituted a breach of a previously imposed suspended sentence for similar offences. During his trial at Cardiff Crown Court, the prosecution argued that Hayes was a dangerous individual, warranting a lengthy custodial sentence combined with an extended licence period. The judge at the time considered Hayes to be a significant risk to children and sentenced him to a total of seven and a half years, comprising two and a half years in custody and five years on extended licence.

However, this sentence was later challenged on appeal. In May of the previous year, three senior judges sitting in London reviewed the case and concluded that Hayes should not have been classified as a “dangerous offender.” Mrs Justice Thirlwall, along with Lord Justice Elias and Judge James Burbidge QC, agreed that the original sentence was excessive and that Hayes’s risk to children was too remote to justify such a classification. As a result, they reduced his sentence by removing the five-year extended licence period, which meant Hayes could be released after serving only 15 months in custody. Mrs Justice Thirlwall emphasized that the nature of Hayes’s offences did not warrant a dangerousness designation, stating, “The risk of harm to children was too remote in cases of possessing child abuse images to justify a finding that he is a ‘danger’.”

Prior to these events, Hayes’s criminal record also includes a December 2013 incident in Blackwood, where he was jailed after breaching a sex offender order. He had purchased a second-hand laptop in February 2012, which he kept in a bedroom under a duvet. When police arrived at his home, they found the device contained 16 indecent images of children and seven images depicting youths engaging in sexual acts with adults. Hayes had been sentenced just three weeks earlier for possessing similar images, and the court considered him a high risk to children, especially given his alcohol use, which was believed to increase potential harm.

Judge David Wynn Morgan sentenced Hayes to 24 weeks in prison for this breach, underscoring the severity of his repeated violations. The court noted that Hayes had been on a three-year supervision order and on the sex offenders’ register for five years, following his earlier convictions for making and possessing indecent images. The prosecution’s case highlighted that Hayes had committed these offences at the very beginning of his supervision period, before any full intervention could take effect. Hayes pleaded guilty to 11 counts of making indecent photographs of children and two counts of possessing such images, leading to the court imposing further restrictions, including a sex offences prevention order that prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 or living with them.

Throughout these proceedings, Hayes’s case has served as a stark reminder of the ongoing risks posed by individuals involved in child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement and judicial oversight to protect vulnerable children from harm.