EDWIN LEWZEY FROM HIGHER CLOVELLY CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND ILLEGAL AMMUNITION IN NORTH DEVON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community of Higher Clovelly and the wider North Devon area, Edwin Lewzey, a 71-year-old resident of Higher Clovelly, has been found guilty of possessing a large collection of child abuse images along with illegal firearms and ammunition. The investigation into Lewzey’s activities was initiated after a computer security breach led to the tracing of his online activity, revealing his involvement with highly disturbing content.

Police executed a search warrant at Lewzey’s residence in Higher Clovelly in April 2013, uncovering a cache of over 2,000 indecent images of children on his laptop. These images included some depicting young children being raped, with one particularly heinous photograph showing a girl who had been tied up. The images did not involve animals, despite Lewzey’s claims of viewing 'zoo porn.' The authorities also discovered that the images appeared as pop-up ads while Lewzey was browsing, and searches included terms like ‘pre-teen,’ indicating premeditated interest.

During the raid, officers found a shotgun propped against the wall in his utility room, along with a substantial quantity of ammunition—specifically, 692 rounds, including 288 expanding bullets stored in a box beneath a food processor. Lewzey, a former gun dealer who operated a shooting estate at Borth Mills in North Devon from 1974 to 1990, had not held a firearms certificate since 1990. The ammunition was old, with police confirming that the expanding rounds dated back to between 1954 and 1969, likely used for hunting deer.

Further investigation revealed that Lewzey’s online activity involved accessing extreme pornography, including images of sadism, bondage, and sexual acts involving children. The images were categorized into levels A, B, and C, with level A being the most serious, showing children engaged in sexual acts with adults. Police found 618 images at level A, 347 at level B, and 1,566 at level C. Six of these images depicted a young girl being penetrated by an older man, and another showed a naked girl who had been tied up. Additionally, police discovered numerous images of adults engaging in sexual acts with animals, some of which Lewzey was viewing at the time of his arrest.

Lewzey admitted to possessing eleven counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of possessing extreme animal pornography, and possessing a shotgun and 404 rounds of ammunition without a license. He also acknowledged possessing 288 rounds of expanding ammunition. His defense argued that Lewzey was unaware of the illegal nature of the images, claiming they arrived as pop-up ads and that he did not actively seek out child images. The shotgun was said to belong to his deceased father, and the ammunition was leftover from his previous career as a gun dealer.

Judge Mr. Ignatius Hughes, QC, sentenced Lewzey to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, with an additional 12 months of supervision. The court also issued a Sex Offences Prevention Order to restrict his future internet use, emphasizing the gravity of his offenses. The judge highlighted the harmful impact of viewing such images, stating, “Looking at indecent images of children on the internet prolongs these images on websites and provides an incentive to take such pictures and therefore contributes to the abuse of children. These offenses are unpleasant, and you were continuing to access extreme pornography even at the time of your arrest.”

Medical reports indicated that Lewzey was scheduled for an exploratory operation due to a suspected cancer, which influenced the decision to suspend his sentence. Prosecutor Mr. Gareth Evans detailed the extent of the evidence, including the discovery of 618 images at the most serious level, with some depicting children being sexually assaulted by adults and others showing children in bondage or sadistic scenarios. The police also seized Lewzey’s laptop and shut down multiple pornographic sites he was browsing at the time of the raid.

In a prior hearing in October 2014, Lewzey had admitted to possessing over 2,500 child abuse images and an unlicensed shotgun. The case was adjourned for a probation report, with the next hearing scheduled for November. His defense maintained that Lewzey did not actively seek out child images but was unaware of their illegality, and that the ammunition found was old and belonged to his late father. The case continues to draw attention to the serious issues of child exploitation and illegal firearms in North Devon, with authorities emphasizing the importance of ongoing vigilance and enforcement.