Children saved from perverts by smashing of abuse ring

Aug 19 2008 by Rod Minchin, The Journal

FIFTEEN British children were saved from the clutches of paedophiles after an investigation into an internet child abuse ring snared a North East-based kingpin, it emerged yesterday.

The worldwide network was infiltrated by law enforcement officers and dozens of suspects arrested.

The investigation involved the largest ever deployment of undercover officers in the UK for a child protection inquiry.

News of the breakthrough emerged as the “librarian” for the paedophile ring was given an indeterminate prison sentence.

Philip Thompson, 27, was one of the kingpins behind an organisation that reached 33 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, Teesside Crown Court heard.

In the wake of his sentencing, officers from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre revealed that children who had been in danger were now safe.

The unemployed loner lived a quiet life with his mother in Gooseport Road, Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, using his benefits to collect films and memorabilia.

However, unknown to the outside world, the self-taught computer expert used his skills to moderate an invitation-only website featuring borderline images of children.

The gateway website served two purposes – to show the users had a perverted interest in children and to show their commitment.

Once they had signed up, members would link up – often using instant messaging programmes – to use more secretive online environments.

It was here that thousands of sick images and videos, as well as information about vulnerable children, were exchanged.

Thompson told police he was the “librarian” for the site and was caught with nearly one million images – including a massive archive of nearly 250,000 perverted images – when police raided his home in February this year.

He was unmasked when child abuse officers from Scotland Yard began investigating the site and their inquiries led to Thompson.

Police have so far identified 360 suspects worldwide, of which 130 were in the UK. To date, 50 arrests have been made in Britain, including a police community support officer and a lecturer.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield told the court that Thompson’s collection was one of the largest ever seized in the UK.

“The defendant’s role was to police the website, which gave him the opportunity to transfer these images to his computer,” he said.

“The evidence recovered from his computer showed he had amassed a vast collection of indecent photographs of children.

“It appeared the defendant kept some of the most serious images to use as trading chips.”

During police interviews, Thompson admitted sharing the pornographic images with other like-minded people across the world.

The goatee-bearded defendant co-operated fully with police and provided details of other people involved in his network.

Thompson admitted a total of 27 charges, which were: 16 counts of making indecent photographs of children; seven counts of distributing indecent photographs of children; two counts of taking indecent photographs of children; one count of possessing child abuse images; and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Brian Russell, mitigating, said: “This is really a young man who has fallen into that stereotype of a rather sad and lonely teenager who spends too much time in a darkened room in front of a computer screen,” he said.

“He has not had much life experience to get himself mature.”

Judge Michael Taylor told Thompson: “For a period in excess of four years you have been involved in the exchange of computer material with like-minded people.

“The reality is that you spent most of your working hours obtaining more and more indecent images and distributing them.

“What becomes even more disturbing in your case is not that you played a national and international role in the exchange of this material, that you as a result of three counts on this indictment abused a child.

“That shows in my mind that you are somebody who is prepared to go to extreme lengths to feed your lust.

“You are a very dangerous individual indeed. I consider that you pose a very significant risk to the public and you are a dangerous offender.”

Thompson will have to serve at least three years and nine months in prison before he can apply for parole, but he will be freed only when he is no longer considered a danger.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and banned from contact with children and computers for life.

Speaking after the case, Det Sgt Becky Driscoll, of Cleveland Police, said Thompson thought he was operating “below the radar”.

“He was integral. He played a key role. He was trusted by other members of this site, so much so that he stored horrific images of child abuse on their behalf,” she said.

“This site would have existed without him, but it would not have been operating as effectively.”

Det Chief Supt Mark Braithwaite, the force’s head of crime, added: “Thompson was a critical piece of this network.

“He was, essentially, the librarian for a myriad of images that were distributed to like-minded individuals both in this country and elsewhere.”

It appeared the defendant kept some of the most serious images to use as trading chips