DAVID HARRIS FROM CWMBRAN JAILED OVER CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND BEHAVIOUR DURING DELIVERY VISITS

In a case that has raised serious concerns within the Cwmbran community, David Harris, a local resident, has been convicted and sentenced for possessing a significant number of indecent images of children. Harris, aged 54 and residing at Ty Canol in Cwmbran, was found guilty of possessing 400 such images, some of which were classified at the most severe level of indecency. The conviction was handed down at Newport Crown Court following a trial that concluded on November 18 of the previous year.

The court heard that police had confiscated Harris’s computer after investigating CDs that were brought into Cwmbran police station, which were believed to belong to him. A detailed forensic analysis by Gwent Police’s high-tech unit revealed that Harris’s computer history included searches for terms such as “little pre-teen models,” “pre-teen school girls,” and “little child models,” indicating a disturbing interest in young children. Despite the evidence, Harris maintained that he was unaware of how these images came to be stored on his device.

During the trial, Harris’s defense argued that the computer was a family device, used not only by him but also by his wife, whom he met while traveling in Thailand. The couple married shortly after their meeting and returned to Cwmbran. Harris stated that only family members and close friends, who had keys to his house, had access to the computer, and he had no reason to believe they would have viewed or stored indecent images.

Prosecutors presented the court with a selection of photographs found on CDs allegedly belonging to Harris. One such image depicted two young girls, which Harris claimed showed them acting out a scene from the animated film “The Little Mermaid.” The court was also shown other disturbing images, which police deemed to be among the worst recorded levels of indecency.

Following his conviction, Harris was sentenced to two years in prison. The judge, Recorder of Cardiff Nicholas Cooke QC, emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating, “Children are not sex objects. It is necessary to deter people from this material.”

In addition to his imprisonment, Harris received a substantial penalty in the form of a ban from working with children, which has been made indefinite. Furthermore, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years.

More recently, concerns have been raised about Harris’s conduct during his work as a distributor of sweets to shops in Cwmbran. It has been reported that he regularly visits local shops for deliveries, but several shop owners have expressed unease about his behaviour towards children present during these visits. These reports have added to the community’s worries about Harris’s presence and activities in the area, highlighting ongoing concerns about safeguarding and community safety in Cwmbran.