David Sedgmore, 34, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing after police found more than 300 indecent images of children on his devices, along with an upskirting photograph of a teenage girl. The victim said she found the incident "highly embarrassing" and worried the image could be shared with others.
Police raid and discovery of images
Police executed a warrant at Sedgmore's home in Pontypool on December 18 last year and seized his devices. Officers discovered more than 300 indecent images of children, including two category A images, two category B images and 334 category C images.
The sentencing hearing on Friday heard the youngest child in the images was a three-year-old boy. An image was also found that appeared to be "upskirting", where the victim had been photographed underneath her skirt without her knowledge or consent. The victim was later identified as a 17-year-old girl.
Victim impact statement
In a victim personal statement read to the court by barrister James Evans, the victim said: "After discovering I had been subjected to a person taking an upskirt image of me without my knowledge or consent, I lost my trust of people, especially men. I find myself looking behind me, checking what people are doing..."
She added: "I'm worried these photos have been shared and could find their way back to me in the future. I'm aware of iCloud data and someone could gain access to them again. I was surprised when I found out it had happened to me and questioned myself and everyone around me."
"I find it highly embarrassing, I am a private person and would not share them in private of my own doing, nevermind someone I was not in a relationship with."
Guilty plea and sentencing
Sedgmore, of Larch Close, New Inn, pleaded guilty to voyeurism, three counts of making indecent images and possessing extreme pornographic images. The court heard he has a previous conviction for causing a child under 14-years-old to watch a sexual act.
In mitigation, Jac Brown said his client has had significant issues in his life, including neurodiversity and addiction to pornography which led him to accessing illegal images of children. The defendant is now living in a hostel away from his partner and two children, and will likely lose his employment as a result of his convictions. Mr Brown said the defendant was exposed to sexual material from a young age and was the victim of abuse himself.
Sentencing, Recorder Mark Cotter KC said: "You must understand when it comes to indecent imagers of a child, every single one of those photographs you have in your possession respresent the photographs of a real child. Everyone of these photogaphjs, particularly the ones represented in categories A and B represent photographs of a crime scene."
"In relation to category A, the crime scene being photographed represents the commission of a crime by somebody who if they were to be sentenced before this court, they would expect a sentence measured in decades."
Sedgmore was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He was also subjected to an accredited programme requirement, a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement, 80 hours unpaid work, sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order for 10 years.
