SAMUEL GAMLIN FROM NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND IN CONTACT WITH PAEDOPHILE WEBSITE CONTROLLER

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Newcastle upon Tyne, Samuel Gamlin, a 20-year-old former Labour campaigner, was found to possess indecent photographs of children as young as 12 years old. The investigation revealed that Gamlin was not only in possession of these illicit images but also engaged in online communication with Dominic Shaw, who is suspected of controlling an ‘extreme’ website dedicated to paedophiles.

Gamlin’s online activities came to light after police executed a search warrant at his residence on May 5, 2011. During the search, officers seized a MacBook laptop, which was later analyzed. When questioned, Gamlin initially denied the presence of any indecent images on the device but subsequently the analysis uncovered two separate collections of such material. One set consisted of two videos featuring boys aged between 12 and 13 years old, stored on a secondary operating system accessible to him. The other set comprised 34 explicit images, including ten classified at the second highest severity level, indicating the extreme nature of the content.

Further investigation revealed chat logs and traces of access to a website believed to be controlled by Dominic Shaw. Evidence from the United States indicated that Gamlin had been in direct contact with Shaw through chat rooms, raising serious concerns about his involvement in the wider network of child exploitation.

During court proceedings, Emma Goodall, representing Gamlin, expressed her client’s remorse, stating that he was ‘extremely ashamed’ of his actions and was aware of society’s condemnation of his behavior. Despite his guilty plea to two counts of making indecent photographs of children, Gamlin faced additional charges, including a third allegation related to his refusal to disclose passwords for two encrypted hard drives. This charge was left on file after his plea.

Prosecutor Stephen Hopper detailed the police operation, emphasizing that the investigation uncovered not only the images but also chat logs linking Gamlin to Shaw’s website, which is believed to contain ‘extreme level four and five images’ of child abuse. Shaw is suspected of controlling this website, which is known for hosting highly disturbing content.

In court, Judge David Higgins sentenced Gamlin to a three-year community order with a three-year supervision requirement. He was also ordered to attend a sex offenders’ group work programme and to register as a sex offender for five years. The judge condemned Gamlin’s actions as participation in a ‘pernicious and damaging trade’ that causes incalculable harm to children, describing his behavior as ‘utterly despicable and deeply antisocial.’

It was also revealed that Gamlin had previously worked as a communications adviser for the Labour Party during the 2010 leadership election, a role he held until March of the previous year. His employment history includes working at Labour’s call centre in Newcastle, where he was involved in campaigning activities. Following the allegations, the Labour Party confirmed that Gamlin was suspended from membership and is no longer affiliated with the party. The party spokesperson stated, “Mr Gamlin was employed on a temporary contract for two short periods of time in our call centre in Newcastle. When these allegations came to light, he was suspended from his membership of the Labour party.”