A North East man who tried to hide his mobile phone from police was caught out when its alarm went off during an unannounced raid. Reece Cowley's handset was found concealed inside his divan bed after officers arrived at his home at 7.15am on 30 April.
Teesside Crown Court heard that officers had received a tip-off that a user of the Kik messaging app had uploaded indecent images online. Prosecutor Emma Atkinson said the user's IP address had been traced back to Cowley's home address.
Attempt to Conceal Phone
When officers arrived, Cowley went upstairs claiming he needed to put on a pair of trousers. He then tried to snatch his mobile phone back from officers after they located it, the court was told.
On Wednesday, Ms Atkinson told the court that the device showed the 30-year-old was involved in multiple chat threads where indecent images of children were being traded. Cowley had not personally uploaded any images to the threads.
Offences and Sentencing
Officers found 19 videos on his handset showing children as young as 18 months being sexually abused, with one video exceeding two minutes in length. Cowley had also stored 46 indecent images of child sexual abuse and four prohibited cartoon images of children. He was additionally found in possession of an illegal image depicting a person engaged in a sexual act with a dog.
Cowley admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, possessing a prohibited image of a child, and possessing extreme pornography. His barrister, Gary Wood, told the court that Cowley lives with his mother, who is supporting him with his drug and alcohol issues.
Mr Wood revealed that his client has been suspended from work on full pay, adding: "He has been told he may be able to continue with his employment, but there's no promises."
Court Decision
Judge Aisha Wadoodi noted that Cowley was "remorseful" for his actions, according to his probation service report. She explained that under new legislation, all prison sentences of 12 months or less must be suspended unless certain criteria apply, adding: "The criteria does not apply in your case."
Cowley, of The Avenue in Stockton, received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for three years. He was ordered to complete an alcohol abstinence programme overseen by the probation service and to attend a rehabilitative course. He was placed under a sexual harm prevention order for seven years and must register on the sex offenders' register for the next decade.
