SAMUEL MOODIE AND SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE IN YORKSHIRE

Samuel Moodie, a 55-year-old registered sex offender from Burton-in-Lonsdale in Yorkshire, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of 30,000 indecent images of children on his electronic devices.

Moodie’s criminal history includes a previous conviction in 2017 for possessing indecent images of minors. As a result of that conviction, he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which was designed to restrict his access to the internet and related digital storage. The order explicitly prohibited him from using or possessing any device capable of accessing the internet without notifying police beforehand. Additionally, he was barred from accessing any form of cloud storage services unless he declared such access and provided police with the necessary details.

Despite these legal restrictions, authorities conducting a search of Moodie’s residence discovered a significant cache of illicit material. The search revealed three devices containing a total of 30,000 indecent images of children, categorized across various levels of severity—Category A, B, and C images. Alongside these devices, police also found details for a Google Drive cloud account, which further indicated Moodie’s attempts to access or store illegal content in digital cloud environments.

In September, Moodie was found guilty on multiple counts, including three charges of making indecent images of children, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and a charge of breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The verdict was delivered at York Crown Court, and he was subsequently sentenced on November 10, 2023.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Kerri Jones from the North Yorkshire Police Online Child Abuse Team issued a statement emphasizing the gravity of Moodie’s actions. She pointed out that despite his prior conviction and the clear restrictions imposed by the SHPO, Moodie had deliberately violated the order. “Despite already serving a prison sentence for a similar offence in 2017 and clearly knowing the terms of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order placed on him at the time, Samuel Moodie blatantly flouted the order and once again accessed and saved some truly hideous images of child sex abuse,” she said.

Detective Jones expressed relief that Moodie was now behind bars, preventing him from further involvement in the distribution or creation of such harmful material. She highlighted the ongoing harm caused by the circulation of child abuse images, noting that each sharing re-victimizes the children involved. “I’m pleased he’s back behind bars, where he cannot play a role in sharing these disturbing and harmful images. Those who obtain and distribute child abuse material directly contribute to the sexual exploitation of children, because the children involved are continually re-victimized every time the images are shared and viewed,” she stated.

The detective also praised the efforts of the North Yorkshire Police Digital Forensic Unit and her colleagues, whose expertise was instrumental in uncovering the digital evidence. She concluded with a firm warning that law enforcement agencies are committed to tracking down individuals involved in the creation and dissemination of child exploitation material. “I hope the sentence handed to Moodie sends a clear message that police can and will track down anyone involved in the making or sharing of indecent images of children and we will use our expertise to uncover the unquestionable digital evidence that will lead to a conviction.”