MARTIN TURNER FROM CWMBRAN AND KENT JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND EXTREME MATERIALS

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Cwmbran in Torfaen and Kent, Martin Turner, a man with a troubling history of criminal activity related to child exploitation, was sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing discoveries. Turner, who at the time of sentencing was known to reside in Cwmbran, was found to have been involved in the possession and downloading of a vast array of illegal images and videos depicting child abuse and extreme pornography.

The investigation into Turner’s activities was sparked by a suspicion raised by his partner, Maria, who also worked at Kent and Canterbury Hospital in the city of Canterbury. During a family holiday in Wales, Maria became increasingly uncomfortable with Turner’s behavior, particularly his apparent fascination with young girls. Her concerns grew when she returned home unexpectedly and caught him in an incriminating act on his laptop, which prompted her to take decisive action.

According to prosecutor Denzil Pugh, Turner, aged 52 at the time, initially denied any wrongdoing. However, Maria’s discovery of a hard drive hidden behind a cushion on the settee led her to investigate further. She handed the device over to the police, who uncovered a disturbing collection of over 14,000 illegal images of children, along with 66 videos containing extreme pornography, including content involving animals and other disturbing acts. Nearly 200 additional videos were also recovered from his devices.

Turner, who was described as having led a somewhat nomadic lifestyle until he found employment at a hospital through a friend, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses related to the possession and distribution of indecent images. He pleaded guilty to 37 counts of downloading illegal material and was subsequently sentenced to six months in prison. His known addresses at the time included no fixed abode, but police investigations revealed that he had stored equipment in a lock-up garage belonging to a friend, which contained a significant number of illegal images.

During the court proceedings, Turner attempted to justify his actions by claiming that his interest was purely in the process of downloading the material, rather than a perverted interest in children. However, Judge Adele Williams was unequivocal in her condemnation, stating, “The number of people who appear before me and who say they have no sexual interest in children is legion. The only people they delude are themselves. They don’t delude anyone else. These images are of real children being really sexually abused and exploited. You were doing this for your own sexual gratification.”

The court also heard that among the videos recovered were some depicting women engaging in sexual acts with dogs, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material Turner had accessed. As a consequence of his actions, Turner has lost his job and his home, and he now faces the consequences of his criminal behavior in the form of imprisonment and the social stigma that accompanies such offenses.