ABINGDON AND HINTON WALDRIST PAEDOPHILE DAVID ADAMS AND CARL ROGERSON SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Abingdon and Hinton Waldrist, three men identified as 'family men' have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in an international online child sex ring. The police investigation uncovered a disturbing network where these individuals shared and exchanged indecent images of children through internet chatrooms, revealing a dark underbelly hidden behind seemingly normal lives.

David Adams, aged 45 and a resident of Hinton Waldrist near Faringdon, was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Oxford Crown Court. Adams, a married father of one, admitted to possessing and distributing thousands of indecent images of children. His professional background includes working as a sales manager for the Abingdon-based motor oil company, Infineum, a role that involved extensive travel across the globe. Despite his outward appearance as a family man, Adams was found to be deeply involved in the online child exploitation network.

Alongside Adams, Carl Rogerson, aged 36 and residing on Cholswell Road in Abingdon, received a three-year prison sentence. Rogerson, a former Lance Corporal in the Royal Logistic Corps based at Dalton Barracks near Abingdon, was identified as a key participant in the online activities. Rogerson, who used the online alias 'Belfast Boy,' was discharged from the Army after admitting his involvement in the case. His actions included sharing images and fabricating stories of child abuse to obtain more photographs from other online paedophiles.

Another individual, Darren Hawkins, aged 38 from Broome Way in Banbury, was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Hawkins, who worked as a bank employee at Lloyds TSB in Banbury, was also implicated in the sharing of child abuse images. The court revealed that Hawkins had been shunned by his own family following his arrest and guilty plea.

Detective Sergeant Duncan Wynn of the Thames Valley Police High Tech Crime Unit explained that all three men exchanged images with other offenders across the country via a Google chatroom. They engaged in the disturbing practice of inventing stories about abusing children to persuade their online contacts to send more photographs. Importantly, none of the men physically harmed children; however, their possession of tens of thousands of images, including the most severe category five images involving torture, underscores the gravity of their crimes.

As a result of the investigation, three children were removed from situations of sexual abuse, highlighting the real-world impact of these online activities. Detective Sergeant Wynn expressed his concern over the fact that these individuals appeared to be ordinary family men living seemingly normal lives. He emphasized the shock experienced by their families upon discovering their double lives and called for a change in public perception regarding who can be involved in such heinous crimes. Wynn stated, 'The worrying thing about all this is these people were all family men, all living normal lives. Their families were completely shocked to find out about their double lives. Maybe public perception needs to change. The paedophile is not the dirty man wearing a mac hanging out around schools.'

In addition to their prison sentences, Rogerson, who was discharged from the Army, and Adams, who has a daughter, faced the reality of their actions impacting their personal lives profoundly. Adams, who traveled extensively for work, and Hawkins, who was employed in banking, all left their jobs after admitting to possessing and distributing child pornography, marking a significant fall from their previous social standings.