THOMAS ALDERSON CAUGHT IN HETTON POLICE STING TARGETING CHILD ABUSE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Hetton, Thomas Alderson, a 47-year-old man from Coalbank Road, was apprehended after attempting to engage in illegal activities involving minors. The incident unfolded in March 2016 when Alderson believed he was communicating with a paedophile father named 'Kev' on a TV dating site, who supposedly was willing to allow his young daughters to be sexually exploited. Unbeknownst to Alderson, he was actually speaking with undercover officers from the Metropolitan Police, who had set up the operation to catch individuals involved in child abuse and exploitation.

According to court proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court, Alderson had expressed a desire to drug two young girls, aged just eight and 11, with 'poppers'—a type of recreational drug—and to use sex toys during acts he intended to record on his phone. His conversations revealed a disturbing enthusiasm for these acts, with Alderson detailing his plans in graphic terms. He believed that the girls would be delivered from London to his location in Hetton, where he intended to carry out these heinous acts.

When Alderson thought that 'Kev' was about to arrive at his residence with the two girls, police officers intervened. They confronted him at his home, where they found a bag of sex toys on the kitchen table, along with child DVDs depicting shocking abuse, including the rape of a baby. The presence of these items confirmed his intentions and the severity of his criminal plans.

Further investigation uncovered a collection of over 500 indecent images of children stored on discs, phones, and a computer. These images included both still photographs and videos, some classified in the most serious categories of child exploitation material. The court was told that all these children depicted in the images were real victims, and their abuse was a tragic reality that Alderson had sought to indulge in for his own gratification.

Throughout the investigation, Alderson admitted to attempting to facilitate child sex offences and possessing indecent images of children. His conversations with the undercover officer, which began in July of the previous year via an advertisement on a television channel, took a sinister turn after initial discussions about naturism. The dialogue soon involved detailed plans for meeting in London or Nottingham, with Alderson describing in graphic detail the toys and restraints he intended to use, including handcuffs and leg straps.

He even inquired whether a young girl who liked the film Frozen would be 'okay' with full sexual activity, revealing his disturbing mindset. When police arrived at his home, he was arrested at the moment he believed 'Kev' and his daughters would be arriving. The officers found the described items in a carrier bag on the kitchen table, along with DVDs containing indecent images of children.

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced Alderson to five years in prison. She also ordered that he must sign the sex offenders register for life and comply with a sexual harm prevention order. The judge emphasized the seriousness of his intentions, stating, 'It is quite apparent, in the conversations before the meeting was due to take place, you intended to have sexual intercourse with both of those girls, who you believed to be aged eight and 11. I detect no reluctance at all in the transcripts of the conversations. You expressed a great deal of enthusiasm for the activities you described.'

She further remarked that the presence of the sex toys and poppers confirmed his plans, and although no child was harmed during the incident, the evidence of his intentions was clear. The court highlighted the gravity of the images found on his devices, stressing that all the children depicted were real victims of abuse, and their suffering was a matter of profound concern.