DARAN HILL SHOCKS LLANGYFELACH AND CARDIFF WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGE DISTRIBUTION

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Llangyfelach and beyond, Daran Hill, a 52-year-old former political consultant, has been found guilty of possessing and distributing extremely disturbing images of child abuse. The allegations against Hill reveal a deeply troubling pattern of behavior involving the circulation of images depicting children as young as three years old, with the crimes coming to light through a detailed investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Hill's arrest took place on August 25, 2021, following a thorough search of his residence, which was located on Taff Terrace in Cardiff. During the search, authorities seized a white iPhone and an Acer laptop, both of which contained indecent images of children. Further investigation uncovered that Hill had been actively sharing these images with other individuals via popular messaging applications such as Kik and WhatsApp, raising serious concerns about the extent of his involvement in the online child exploitation network.

At a sentencing hearing held at Newport Crown Court, the court was informed that Hill had engaged in the distribution of five Category A images between August 7 and August 21, 2021. These images are classified as the most severe form of child abuse material. Additionally, between January 11, 2017, and the date of his arrest, Hill had created a total of eight Category A images, four Category B images, and fifty Category C images, illustrating a prolonged period of offending.

Prosecutor Owen Williams explained that the case was brought to light after the NCA received intelligence indicating that two Kik accounts, LuciusNero8 and LuciusNero5, had uploaded indecent images of children. The account linked to Hill used the email address [email protected] and was associated with his then residential address on Taff Terrace, Cardiff. When NCA officers visited Hill's home, he welcomed them inside and made a startling confession. Hill stated, “I know why you’re here. I’m sorry I made a mistake, I only done it a couple of times. I done it on this phone. I’m surprised you’re here for just a small amount. I don’t know why I done it, I don’t even enjoy it.”

Authorities found on his devices a disturbing collection of images, including photographs of children as young as three years old. Videos recovered from his phone depicted children as young as seven being sexually abused by adults, which Hill had also distributed. Further evidence revealed that Hill had sent messages to another individual, offering advice on how to search for and obtain indecent images of children, including using the search term “teens” on the internet.

During police interviews, Hill admitted to knowingly joining specific Kik messenger groups that he knew shared indecent images of children. He also confessed to sharing such images himself. Hill, who resides at Cae Melyn in Llangyfelach, Swansea, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and distributing such images. It was noted that he had previously maintained a good character.

Hill’s background includes significant involvement in Welsh political campaigns. He was the national organiser for the “Yes for Wales” campaign during the 1997 devolution referendum and later served as the campaign director for the 2011 vote that granted the Welsh Assembly primary legislative powers. A former member of the Labour Party, Hill later joined the Conservative Party and in 2020 publicly offered his “services and loyalty” to the party. He was also managing director at Positif, a lobbying advisory firm for Welsh politicians. However, following his arrest, Hill resigned from his position at the company, which was renamed Camlas later that year.

The sentencing judge, Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, emphasized the seriousness of the case, citing “a number of significant aggravating features,” including the young age of the children depicted and Hill’s active distribution of the images. She stated, “Those who view child sexual abuse images contribute to the trade of child abuse images, and therefore the abuse of children. Their suffering is made worse by being viewed by someone like you for their own sexual gratification.”

As a result, Hill was sentenced to a custodial term of three years and four months in prison. Additionally, he was subjected to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to prevent further offending.