MARTIN LYONS FROM MIRFIELD INVOLVED IN CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND PORNOGRAPHY CASES IN WEST YORKSHIRE

In March 2016, Martin Lyons, a man originally from Mirfield in West Yorkshire, found himself at the center of a disturbing investigation involving child exploitation and indecent imagery. Despite his criminal past, Lyons has continued to work professionally as a photographer, covering events such as christenings and children’s parties, raising serious concerns about his suitability and the transparency of his current employment.

Lyons, aged 59 at the time, was convicted of possessing child sex images and creating a disturbing 12-minute film depicting the sexual abuse of seven-year-old children. His actions and the content he produced are deeply troubling, and his attitude towards his past has caused alarm among the community and authorities alike. Lyons publicly stated that he felt no obligation to disclose his criminal history to families who hire him for photography services, asserting that he had no restrictions on his work.

He claimed to have been off the Sex Offenders Register for ten years, having been on it for only two years following his initial conviction. Lyons explained that the images found on his computer were acquired accidentally during a setup process involving downloads, attempting to downplay the severity of his actions. Despite this, his criminal record tells a different story. In 2003, Lyons was sentenced to 100 hours of community service after being arrested as part of Operation Ore, a global investigation targeting individuals involved in child sex abuse images.

Further scrutiny of Lyons’s online presence reveals a disturbing pattern. His website, which he uses to advertise his photography services, features images of young women in underwear and numerous photographs of young girls and toddlers in suggestive poses. These images suggest a troubling familiarity with children, raising questions about his professional conduct and the safety of children he may come into contact with.

Lyons’s criminal record includes a conviction for making indecent images of children under 16, as well as possessing such images. During his court proceedings at Leeds Crown Court, it was revealed that police discovered approximately 2,500 indecent images of children stored on his computer. The images ranged from photographs to moving pictures, involving children as young as seven and up to 17 years old, and included both male and female minors. Lyons also admitted to creating a PowerPoint presentation containing 139 slides filled with indecent pictures, further illustrating the extent of his offending.

In a separate incident in June 2003, Lyons, then a 46-year-old marketing consultant living on Wellhouse Lane in Mirfield, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs of children and making indecent images. Police had identified him through a monitored website linked to Operation Ore, which he accessed using his credit card. The images found on his computer were classified as level four on a five-tier scale of seriousness, indicating a significant level of depravity. These images included both photographs and videos involving children aged between seven and 17, as well as adult males.

Lyons’s case highlights ongoing concerns about individuals with criminal pasts working with children and the importance of transparency and safeguarding in professions involving minors. His actions and the evidence uncovered paint a disturbing picture of a man with a long history of offending, raising questions about how such individuals are monitored and prevented from reoffending in community settings.