CARMEL MAN STEVEN JONES SENTENCED AFTER ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS OF CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In a recent court case held in Carmel, Steven Anthony Jones, aged 34, faced serious charges related to the illegal possession of indecent images of children. The proceedings revealed that Jones had been caught downloading such material between May 8 and July 25 of the previous year. Despite his claims that the images were part of a criminal investigation, the court found sufficient evidence to convict him on multiple counts.

Jones, who hails from Celyn Park in Carmel near Holywell, admitted to the act but argued that his actions were motivated by a desire to uncover individuals responsible for historic sexual abuse. His defense lawyer, David Leathley, emphasized that Jones believed he was engaged in a genuine investigation, which he claimed provided a statutory defense under the law. Leathley pointed out that the law allows for such defenses when law enforcement officers are involved, though the prosecution contended that the defense was being misused as a cover for criminal activity.

Prosecutor Simon Mintz challenged Jones’s explanation, describing it as a “smokescreen” designed to evade responsibility. He highlighted that the search terms used by Jones suggested a focus on children, rather than adults, and noted that such images rarely show the children’s faces. The evidence presented included five Category A videos, which are classified as the most severe, involving penetration, along with two Category B images and one Category B video. Additionally, there were eight Category C images, which are considered less serious and involve sexual posing. The children depicted ranged in age from five to fifteen, and the images involved both males and females. Although the images had been deleted by the time of police discovery, they were identified through advanced forensic techniques employed by the police hi-tech crime unit.

During police interviews, Jones claimed that he had accidentally downloaded the images while searching for adult pornography, asserting that he was interested in content involving older men, not children. However, in a subsequent defense statement, he maintained that his actions were part of a genuine effort to investigate crimes related to historic sexual offenses, and he was searching for individuals he believed had committed such acts.

Following a unanimous jury verdict, Judge Rhys Rowlands sentenced Jones to a nine-month prison term, which was suspended for two years. The judge also ordered Jones to undertake 40 days of rehabilitation and mandated that he register as a sex offender with the police for a period of ten years. Furthermore, a ten-year sexual harm prevention order was imposed to restrict his activities and protect the public.

Judge Rowlands emphasized the importance of honesty and cooperation with the probation service, indicating that if Jones remained in denial or continued to dismiss the seriousness of his actions, it would complicate any consideration of alternative sentencing options. The court’s decision underscores the gravity of possessing and downloading indecent images of children, even when claimed to be part of an investigation, and highlights the legal consequences of such offenses.