September 2023

Former primary school teaching assistant, jailed for more than 18 years for child sex abuse

A teaching assistant filmed and photographed himself sexually abusing a baby and shared the vile images with other paedophiles online.

Tommy Allington subjected the infant to a sustained campaign of sexual assaults and rape which only came to light when police investigating the uploading of indecent photos to Instagram found a secret phone he had hidden in the attic of his house.

As well as more than 1,500 images of children being sexually abused which the 25-year-old had downloaded, officers found photos and videos he had taken himself – and from those detectives were able to identify the little boy he had been abusing.

Detectives also found he had been sharing the pictures of him abusing his young victim with like-minded people and been “boasting” about his actions.

Making the 25-year-old defendant the subject of an extended sentence as a dangerous offender, a judge at Swansea Crown Court said she was concerned about the risk he posed to children and the risk he would continue to present once released from prison.

Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said in April this year police executed a search warrant at Allington’s home address in the Penlan area of Swansea after receiving intelligence that indecent images were being uploaded to an Instagram account that was linked to the defendant.

A number of devices were seized and examined and nothing was found on them but then officers searched the attic of the property and uncovered an Alcatel phone. The prosecutor said once the defendant realised the phone in the loft had been found his demeaner changed and he became “flustered”.

An examination of the Alcatel phone revealed more more than 1,500 indecent images including 252 of Category A showing the most extreme kinds of child sexual abuse.

Officers also found photographs and videos that Allington had shot himself which showed him sexually abusing a baby boy on multiple occasions.

They also found the defendant had been sharing those images of the child with fellow paedophiles on the messaging app Telegram – where he went by the user name AngelBoy – and had discussed the sexual abuse and “boasted” about his activities.

In some of the conversations Allington and his contacts discussed the advantages of abusing babies as infants are unable to say anything or tell anyone about what was happening to them.

Detectives were subsequently able to identify the boy he had been abusing and contacted his parents. The mother identified her son as the child in the pictures and videos

In statements read to the court the parents of the youngster described the devastating impact the offending has had, and their concerns about what the long term effects on their son might be. The father described how he no longer trusts anyone and how his young son sometimes appears to go into a “trance” while the mother said her world had “fallen apart” and the family had been destroyed by Allington’s sexual needs.

Tommy Lee Allington, of Heol Cadifor, Penlan, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty a total of 17 counts of child rape, sexual assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, possessing indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children, and possessing prohibited images when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. His offending is unconnected to his work in schools.

The judge said she was concerned about the risks Allington posed to children and – given his age – the risks he would pose after his release from custody. She said given everything she had heard and read about him she was sure he was a dangerous offender and that an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public.

Allington was made the subject of an extended 24 year and eight month sentence comprising 18 years and eight months in custody followed by an extended licence period of six years.

He must serve two thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply to be released but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be let out.

The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.