RENE KINZETT: SWANSEA CHILD ABUSE OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 45 MONTHS IN PRISON
In a case that has shocked the community of Swansea, Rene Kinzett, a former local councillor and political candidate, has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for a series of heinous child sex abuse offences committed over nearly a decade.The court heard that Kinzett, aged 43, was found guilty of possessing, distributing, and making indecent images of children, with the total number of images estimated to be around 700.
His criminal activities spanned from 2008 to 2017, revealing a disturbing pattern of offending that included the sharing of explicit material with other predators and the viewing of child abuse content on various online platforms.
Prosecutor Richard Hearnden detailed the extent of Kinzett’s crimes, beginning with an incident in September 2014 when the National Crime Agency alerted the Metropolitan Police that Kinzett had been identified uploading indecent images of children onto Twitter.
These images predominantly depicted young males aged between 10 and 16, with some of young girls in the same age range.
The investigation traced the uploads to an address in Leyton, and further analysis linked the images to IP addresses associated with Kinzett’s residence in Swansea.
The police subsequently arrested him in September 2015 after retrieving his iPhone, which contained numerous indecent images of children, along with associated email addresses, including one that read 'biwelshboy.' Authorities also discovered disturbing conversations on a Toshiba computer found at Kinzett’s home.
These chats involved explicit sexual fantasies involving toddlers and children as young as six or eight, with one conversation suggesting that Kinzett had offered to babysit a young boy from Leyton.
The evidence indicated that Kinzett had been actively involved in the creation and distribution of child pornography, including images of anal penetration of children aged between 10 and 15, and images of young girls undressing.
Despite his denials, the evidence was overwhelming, and he pleaded guilty to the charges.
Further investigations revealed that in December 2015, Kinzett possessed a video of a three-year-old boy being sexually penetrated, which led to his arrest and subsequent interview.
The prosecution emphasized that the total number of images and videos linked to Kinzett was approximately 700, highlighting the severity of his offending.
His criminal record also includes a 2013 incident where he used the Kik messaging app to send indecent images of children.
In addition to his possession and distribution of child abuse material, Kinzett was implicated in a separate investigation in 2017 involving the use of a video conferencing platform called Zoom.
Under the username 'UK Cloudy Bi Perv,' he was linked to a Brighton address through IP tracing.
During this online activity, he exchanged videos depicting a nine-year-old girl being orally penetrated by an adult man, as well as other disturbing content involving children and animals.
Kinzett’s explicit request for 'paedo mum vids' further underscored his ongoing engagement with such material.
During the sentencing hearing, Kinzett’s defense attorney, Paul Hobson, acknowledged his client’s remorse and noted that Kinzett had sought help from Stop it Now, a charity dedicated to assisting individuals with problematic sexual attractions.
Hobson emphasized that Kinzett’s distribution was limited to a small group and that he had no recent offending since 2017.
He also highlighted Kinzett’s previous employment in high-profile roles and his struggles with substance abuse, which he claimed contributed to his relapse.
However, Judge Neil Sanders underscored the gravity of Kinzett’s crimes, stating that a custodial sentence was the only appropriate punishment given the nature and duration of the offences.
The judge condemned the exploitation of children involved in the images and videos, emphasizing the profound harm inflicted upon victims.
Kinzett was visibly emotional as he was led from the courtroom, crying in the grey suit he wore.
The judge also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, restricting Kinzett’s access to internet-enabled devices unless his browsing history could be monitored and not deleted.
Additionally, he was banned from contacting anyone under the age of 18 online.
In a related development in December 2018, it was reported that Kinzett, who had previously stood as a Conservative candidate for Swansea West and also ran as a Liberal Democrat candidate in 2005, was working as a pizza delivery driver.
This came after he was caught with hundreds of child abuse images, including videos of children as young as three being sexually abused.
The court heard that Kinzett had sent these images to other predators via WhatsApp and Kik, and had admitted to watching child abuse content on Zoom.
His legal troubles had led to him being dropped by his law firm after failing to pay substantial legal fees, and he was awaiting sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Despite his criminal record, Kinzett claimed to have recently found employment at the Cooperative supermarket chain and to be making efforts to seek legal aid.
His case remains a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by individuals involved in child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims.
