A former BBC Wales producer has been convicted of possessing thousands of indecent images of children, after attempting to blame colleagues for the material found on his devices. Dylan Dawes, 50, claimed he had left his laptops and iPads unattended in open-plan offices at BBC headquarters in Llandaff, Cardiff, where colleagues could have accessed them.
Dawes worked on radio shows for stars including comedian Rhod Gilbert and presenter Jason Mohammad. He was found with more than 6,200 indecent images, including 192 Category A images depicting the rape of pre-pubescent children. The images were discovered on a laptop, hard drive, and two iPads spanning a period of 16 years.
During a trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Dawes said he had 'no idea' how the images got onto his devices and suggested colleagues might have used them. He was arrested in February 2022 after returning from a family holiday to Disneyland Paris. The court heard he was suspended on full pay and signed off sick with stress, but did not investigate who else may have used his devices.
Dawes, of Canton, Cardiff, pleaded not guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images and three counts of making indecent images, but was found guilty after a four-day trial. At Newport Crown Court, Judge Eugene Egan sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and imposed a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, a sexual harm prevention order, and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.
Judge Egan said Dawes had 'pointed the finger of suspicion at colleagues' and described his actions as 'warped', stating that 'right-minded members of society will feel total and utter revulsion'. The judge noted that Dawes, an 'intelligent man', had lost his career and could no longer live with his wife and three children.
