RONALD LUNN FROM CALDICOT SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING OVER 100 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN SHOCKING CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Caldicot, Ronald Lunn, a 68-year-old pensioner, has been sentenced to prison after authorities uncovered a significant collection of indecent images of children in his possession. The incident came to light in December 2017, when police executed a search warrant at Lunn's residence, located at The Cwtch in Caldicot, and discovered more than 100 illicit images stored on his personal devices.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Lunn had been actively involved in sharing and receiving indecent images through online chatrooms, often using false identities to conceal his activities. These exchanges spanned approximately four years, with conversations dating back to July 2013. The court heard that Lunn engaged in sexually fantasizing about children, fabricating stories of himself participating in sexual acts with minors, which he admitted to during police interviews.

At the time of the police raid, Lunn was at home with his wife. When officers directed him to his laptop, he expressed remorse, stating, “I am disgusted by it but I just could not help it.” The laptop contained a total of 119 indecent images, categorized by authorities into different levels of severity: six images classified as Category A, the most serious, ten as Category B, and the remaining 103 as Category C.

Lunn had previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images, three counts of distributing such images, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and one count of possessing an image of extreme pornography. His guilty plea led to his sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court, where he was handed a 20-month prison term. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Gareth James outlined that Lunn's online activities were conducted at night, often when his wife was in bed, highlighting the secretive and disturbing nature of his behavior. The court was told that Lunn’s use of false identities facilitated his sharing of indecent images and his sexual fantasies involving children. The investigation also uncovered that the images found on his laptop likely represented only a small portion of the total material he had downloaded over the years, indicating a deep and troubling engagement with this illegal and harmful material.

Judge Stephen Hopkins QC commented on the severity of the case, noting that Lunn’s collection of images was probably just a fraction of his total downloads and that he had become deeply immersed in a world of sexual fantasy to a “deep and worrying level.” The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the potential harm caused, leading to the sentence of 20 months in prison, along with the registration and order aimed at preventing further harm.