THOMAS WINTERSON FROM EBBW VALE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND ONLINE ABUSE

Thomas Winterson, a 34-year-old bakery worker residing on Rhymney Close in Ebbw Vale, has been found guilty of engaging in highly disturbing and illegal online activities involving the exploitation of minors. The case against Winterson revealed a disturbing pattern of grooming and abuse that culminated in a serious criminal offense involving a young girl.

According to court proceedings, Winterson had initiated contact with a 10-year-old girl he met on the social media platform TikTok. Under the guise of being a 15-year-old boy, he engaged in grooming behaviors, complimenting her appearance and attempting to establish further communication through Snapchat. During these exchanges, he offered her money to play Roblox, a popular online game, and requested explicit pictures from her once they were connected on Snapchat.

Tragically, after the girl sent the images, Winterson responded by sending her a graphic and explicit photograph of his erect penis. The young girl, distressed by the incident, confided in her mother, who promptly reported the matter to the police. An investigation was launched, uncovering a disturbing collection of illicit material stored on Winterson’s devices. Authorities discovered that he possessed over 800 indecent images on his phone and Mega storage account, including 220 images classified as Category A, which depict extreme abuse and rape involving children aged from approximately 12 months to teenagers. Some of these images also involved animals, highlighting the severity and depravity of his online activities.

Further inquiries revealed that Winterson had visited Russian websites known for hosting child abuse images. He was also found to have traded links with other individuals involved in similar criminal activities, indicating a network of offenders engaged in the distribution and exchange of such heinous material. It was also noted that Winterson had previous convictions related to possessing indecent images, for which he had been sentenced to a community order prior to this case.

In sentencing, the court imposed a total term of 29 months in prison. This included 26 months for distribution offenses, 8 months for possession of indecent images, and an additional 3 months specifically related to the incident involving the 10-year-old girl. The court also mandated that Winterson register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years and imposed a sexual harm prevention order to restrict his future activities. The judge emphasized the profound and lasting impact of Winterson’s actions on the young victim, describing his behavior as deeply disturbing and highlighting the importance of protecting children from such predatory conduct.