GRAHAM WADDON AND RAYMOND MCARTHUR INDICTED FOR INTERNET PERVERSION IN JONES AND SURREY

In September 1999, a notorious figure involved in the proliferation of illegal and highly obscene Internet content has managed to avoid immediate imprisonment due to health issues. Graham Waddon, aged 28, was at the center of a scandal that highlighted the reach of UK jurisdiction over foreign-based online pornography. Residing in a terraced house in Surrey, Waddon played a pivotal role in managing a series of controversial websites that specialized in adult content, many of which originated from servers located in the United States.

These sites, bearing provocative names such as Farmsex, Europerv, and Schoolgirls-R-Us, were hosted overseas, yet their UK-based operator was Waddon. The Southwark Crown Court was informed that just one of these sites could generate as much as £4,500 daily in revenue. Despite the international nature of the operation, the British authorities considered it a significant case in the ongoing battle against Internet-based pornography, especially as it demonstrated that content hosted abroad could still fall under UK legal scrutiny.

Judge Christopher Hardy sentenced Waddon to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, citing his serious health problems as a mitigating factor. The court acknowledged that Waddon was suffering from considerable health difficulties, which influenced the decision. Police reports revealed that Waddon, along with Raymond McArthur-Jones, aged 35, a former fireman and fellow computer designer, was involved in distributing some of the most depraved and obscene images police had encountered on the Internet. These included material depicting bestiality, torture, and other heinous acts, available for a monthly fee of £20.

Waddon and McArthur-Jones had initially connected through online communication, and their collaboration began as a legitimate web design business serving small local firms. Waddon, who was also responsible for managing the unofficial Queens Park Rangers football club website, had plans to develop a local business directory. However, their activities soon spiraled into the realm of illegal pornography.

The court heard that customers subscribing for £20 a month could access a disturbing array of American-based adult sites. One such site reportedly earned an astonishing £19,000 in a single day. Despite the groundbreaking nature of the case, which underscored the international challenges in regulating online obscenity, some of the sites continued to operate. Their servers, located outside the UK, made it difficult for British authorities to shut them down.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson stated that, based on current intelligence, the operation had been taken over by a new owner and was now run from Costa Rica, with no direct connection to Waddon. Financial records indicated that McArthur-Jones had profited approximately £607,000 from the enterprise, while Waddon earned over £126,000, which he invested into a legitimate but struggling website design company. During a police raid on his residence, officers confiscated computer equipment valued at around £600.

Judge Hardy remarked that since access to the sites required a credit card, it was unlikely that casual teenage surfers browsing late at night would stumble upon this material. Waddon had previously pleaded guilty to 11 counts of publishing obscene articles on the Internet, dating back to before June 1997, as well as a charge related to possessing an obscene video featuring a dog for publication and profit.

Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of explicit photographs and videos had been uploaded and disseminated through these sites, attracting a global customer base numbering in the thousands. The authorities first identified Waddon and McArthur-Jones in 1997, following investigations by Scotland Yard’s Obscene Publications Unit. At that time, McArthur-Jones was reported to be on sick leave from the Fire Service, suffering from a bad back, and was seen enjoying a luxurious holiday in Spain with Waddon.

During a police raid in September 1997, officers searched Waddon's home at his father’s address in Worcester Park, South London, as well as McArthur-Jones’s residence in Ealing, West London. Despite Waddon's guilty pleas and the ongoing legal proceedings, many of the adult sites continue to operate, with authorities appealing to American companies to shut them down. It remains uncertain whether Waddon sold the rights to these sites or retained some control over them, but their continued existence underscores the persistent challenge of regulating online obscenity across borders.