April 2004

Internet pervet jailed

A BARRY paedophile who filmed himself performing sex acts with an 11-year-old girl and then posted the videos on the internet has been jailed for six years.

Stephen Michael Ellis, aged 34, was caught after advertising the sick films for other paedophiles to watch.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how officers from the Metropolitan Police traced him through his codename Gandalf 1 and found hundreds of child porn images in his Court Road home.

Prosecutor Tom Crowther said they carefully monitored an internet program called Kazaa that allowed users to share computer files.

He told the Court: “There is no central computer running the program therefore there is no control – it is up to the individuals what they offer to distribute.

“Accordingly it is carefully monitored and in 2003 officers from the Met became aware of Gandalf 1.

“The person using that name was offering a large number of files which obviously included images of child abuse.”

The court heard police traced the name Gandalf 1 back to Ellis and raided his home, seizing more than 500 images.

Mr Crowther said: “It became clear that this was not merely a collection of illegal child pornography but a catalogue of his abuse of a young girl.

“What had been a dreadful suspicion that he was not only filming the abuse but also distributing it, was confirmed.”

He said that the the videos and pictures of the abuse had become more graphic over time and said Ellis had been “grooming” his schoolgirl victim.

Mr Crowther added: “Because of the nature of the Kazaa program the copying and distribution of these photos is now uncontrollable.

“These images will be there for as long as like-minded people choose to share them.”

Jobless Ellis admitted a string of offences including three indecent assaults and distributing indecent pseudo-photographs.

Marian Lewis, defending, said: “It has to be acknowledged Ellis’s conduct towards this girl was shameful and degrading.

“He has completely corrupted her and robbed her of her innocence.”

Judge David Morris jailed Ellis for six years, ordered him to register as a sex offender for life and banned him from working with children.

He told him: “You committed these acts to satisfy your perverted, unnatural sexual desires for children.

“You then allowed the film to be distributed so that it could be obtained by other paedophiles. You advertised it on the internet with obscene titles to titilate other perverts.”

After the case Detective Constable Jason Bishop, of South Wales police, said: “This investigation proves there is no hiding place for people of this persuasion.”