NEWCASTLE OFFENDERS ABDULLAH HAMOOD AND ESSA OGHUL SENTENCED FOR CHILD INDECENCY IMAGES AND VIDEOS

Two men from Newcastle, Abdullah Hamood and Essa Oghul, have been found guilty of involvement in the distribution and creation of indecent images and videos depicting children, actions they reportedly believed to be humorous or a joke.

Abdullah Hamood, aged 28, and Essa Oghul, aged 45, were apprehended after police confiscated their mobile devices, which contained a disturbing collection of illicit material. The authorities uncovered multiple indecent images and videos stored on their phones, leading to serious criminal charges.

The case was further detailed during court proceedings, revealing that Northumbria Police had received intelligence linking Oghul to a Facebook account that had sent an indecent Category A video to Hamood in January 2021. This communication was part of a broader pattern of illicit activity involving both men.

In December 2022, Oghul was detained on an unrelated matter, during which his phone was seized by law enforcement. Following this, in January 2023, authorities conducted a search of Hamood’s property, which resulted in the forensic examination of his mobile phones. The evidence uncovered was deeply troubling.

The court was informed that Oghul’s phone contained four Category C indecent images of children, along with one image and four videos of extreme pornography, including a child estimated to be between two and four years old. Hamood’s devices held a more extensive collection, including seven Category A videos of children, three Category B images, and two Category C images, with the children depicted aged between seven and fifteen years.

Further disturbing was the fact that Hamood had distributed six Category A images and videos of children via WhatsApp, while Oghul shared a single Category C image. Hamood, who resides at Walkerdene House, Walker, pleaded guilty to charges of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and creating three indecent images of children.

The court was told that Hamood had no prior convictions, but the judge dismissed any suggestion that he believed his actions were culturally acceptable or merely a joke. The judge emphasized the gravity of the offenses, stating, "Just think for one second how you would explain to a right-thinking person it would be a joke. I'm satisfied that what you were doing was for sexual gratification. You don't believe a victim would be harmed in any way, they are real children."

As a result, Hamood was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation and perform 250 hours of unpaid community work.

In contrast, Essa Oghul, of Todds Nook, Newcastle, admitted to charges including distributing a photograph, creating an indecent image, and possessing an extreme pornographic image. The judge expressed concern over Oghul’s explanations, which were deemed insufficient to justify his actions as a joke. The court found that his actions were driven by personal sexual gratification.

Oghul, who has no previous criminal record, was sentenced to an 18-month community order, along with 30 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work. The judge considered him at low risk of reoffending, but emphasized the seriousness of his conduct.