RHYS MCCLOY FROM EBBW VALE AND NEWPORT CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Ebbw Vale and Newport, Rhys McCloy, a 22-year-old man, was apprehended after authorities uncovered a significant collection of illegal child abuse material stored on his electronic devices. The investigation was initiated following a tip-off that led police to raid McCloy's residence in Newport just before Christmas. During the search, officers discovered a total of 121 indecent images and videos depicting the abuse of very young children, including babies and toddlers.

Prosecutor Andrew Davies outlined the severity of the material found, stating in Cardiff Crown Court that the images ranged from children as young as one year old to nine years old. The majority of these images depicted the most heinous acts of sexual assault, with many showing babies and toddlers being raped by adult males. The evidence was so disturbing that it prompted immediate legal action against McCloy.

McCloy, who now resides on Beaufort Hill in Beaufort, Ebbw Vale, pleaded guilty to multiple charges. He admitted to creating 57 images classified as Category A, which denotes the most serious level of child abuse material, along with 45 images in Category B and 19 in Category C. Additionally, he confessed to possessing a prohibited image of a child, a charge that underscores the illegal nature of his collection. These offences were committed during the period from January 1 to December 23 of the previous year.

During the court hearing, Judge Daniel Williams addressed McCloy directly, emphasizing the gravity of the crimes. He recounted that police had attended McCloy's home on December 23, 2021, and recovered three electronic devices. An examination of these devices revealed numerous indecent images, many of which were in the most serious category, involving the abuse of infants in the most devastating manner. The judge highlighted that McCloy’s actions demonstrated a disturbing sexual interest in the exploitation of extremely young children.

As a result of his guilty plea, McCloy was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years, meaning he will not serve time unless he commits another offence within that period. The court also mandated that he attend an accredited sex offender treatment program and complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity. Furthermore, McCloy was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and was placed under a sexual harm prevention order that will remain in effect until 2032. He was also required to pay £720 in prosecution costs and a £156 victim surcharge.

Earlier in April 2022, McCloy was also involved in a separate case where he was caught with over 100 indecent photographs of children. During a brief hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, he admitted to making 57 Category A images, 45 Category B images, and 19 Category C images, along with possessing a prohibited image. The offences in this case also occurred during 2021, between January 1 and December 23. Despite having no prior convictions, the court ordered that he must register as a sex offender and scheduled the case for further sentencing preparations on May 20. His legal representation was provided by Ben Waters, while the prosecution was led by Andrew Davies.