MICHAEL COHEN CAUGHT WATCHING CHILD ABUSE FILM IN KIDWELLY DAWN RAID

In the early hours of June 27, police officers executed a dawn raid at the residence of Michael Nathan Cohen in Kidwelly, a town in Carmarthenshire. The officers, part of Dyfed-Powys Police’s online investigation unit and a joint team from Llanelli, arrived at Cohen’s home following intelligence that indicated the presence of indecent images of children being downloaded from his internet connection.

When the officers knocked on the door, Cohen, aged 71 and known for his previous role as a senior probation officer, was still dressed in his dressing gown. He initially requested the officers to remain downstairs while he went upstairs to change his clothing. However, the officers refused this request and accompanied him to the first floor, where they made a disturbing discovery.

On Cohen’s Mac computer, they found a graphic and disturbing film depicting young teenage boys engaged in sexual acts. The police also recovered a total of 92 images and videos from Cohen’s computer and a hard drive. These materials were classified into different categories based on their severity: 92 images and videos were Category A, indicating the most extreme content; 11 were Category B; and 55 fell into Category C. Most of these images involved young boys, with the youngest being approximately nine years old.

During police interviews, Cohen admitted that he had been accessing such material for the past three years. He revealed that he sometimes downloaded as many as 15 films daily from online forums where he also engaged in sexually explicit conversations. The investigation uncovered that Cohen had been actively involved in viewing and downloading child abuse material over an extended period.

Prior to the court proceedings, Cohen pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent images of children. The case was heard at Swansea Crown Court, where Judge Keith Thomas addressed Cohen’s actions. The judge emphasized the seriousness of possessing and viewing such images, stating that they perpetuate the abuse of children by others. He remarked, “Making and possessing indecent images are serious because they are real children being abused in real situations – they are not simply images.”

Despite the gravity of the charges, Cohen was sentenced to eight months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for 18 months. Additionally, he was ordered to complete a rehabilitation course aimed at addressing his behavior. To further restrict his access to harmful material, Cohen was subjected to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which limits his internet usage. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the same period, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities related to sexual offenses involving children.