Following downloads and distribution of hundreds of “horrific” child sexual abuse photographs, an online sex offender from Nottingham has been imprisoned.
At age 41, Paul Smith came under notice from Nottinghamshire Police when his IP address was connected to illegal photos and films kept on an internet file-sharing website.
Smith admitted to using the website to access photographs of adults when he was arrested in February 2022. Still, he also made voluntary reference to “child porn,” stating he made a point of quickly deleting any such images.
Then, police started a more thorough search of his then-home address, Grimston Road, Radford, and seized electronics.
His cell phone’s forensic analysis verified his use of the file-sharing website and turned up several illegal photographs.
They also had a terrible history of using an internet chat tool, whereby he shared and watched hundreds of links to pictures and videos, including newborns and children (baby rape and worse).
Most of the pictures were rated as Category A, meaning that they showed the most severe adult sexual abuse of children.
Initially denying any wrongdoing, Smith of Radford eventually entered a guilty plea to three charges of disseminating obscene images of minors and three counts of creating obscene images of children.
He also admitted to having an extreme pornographic picture of an animal and a forbidden photograph of a youngster.
Attending Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, July 29, he received a seven-year extended prison sentence and was added to the registry of sex offenders for a lifetime.
Once he is freed, he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order that will rigorously restrict his access to youngsters and the internet.
Detective Constable Sarah Clarke, a specialist child abuse detective, said:
“Smith was involved in the distribution of some of the most horrific images I have come across in my policing career – some involving babies and very young children.
“These images were as bad as it gets, and I am pleased he has now received a lengthy prison sentence.
“When we first arrested him, Smith made reference to child pornography. In reality, there is no such thing as children being unable to consent to the recorded acts.
“What we’re dealing with here is child sexual abuse, and I hope anyone thinking of viewing such images understands that.
“Because for every one of these images and videos, there is a real child somewhere in the world suffering the most appalling physical and emotional abuse.
“People like Smith may not be committing this abuse in person, but they are certainly contributing to it, which is why we will continue to seek them out and put them before the courts.”