Graduate Jailed for Selling Child Abuse Images Online

A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after selling horrific images of children and babies being sexually abused to other offenders. 💻⚖️

Dean William Hanford from Caroline Street, Blaengwynfi, in the Afan Valley, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to multiple charges of possessing and distributing indecent images across Categories A, B, and C.

The court heard Hanford’s activities were uncovered during a National Crime Agency investigation, which alerted South Wales Police. Officers executed a search warrant at his home in summer 2023, seizing devices containing significant numbers of indecent images and videos.

Evidence revealed Hanford had been sharing the material with others, boasting in messages that he had “tons” of images which he was selling for “£30 for over 100”. Police also obtained PayPal records showing payments made to Hanford between June 2022 and June 2023, many marked with the reference “videos”.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told Hanford: “These were real babies somewhere in the world being tortured so people like you can masturbate over the images.”

The defence barrister, James Hartson, said Hanford had led a “sheltered life” experiencing “loneliness and isolation”. He noted the defendant was educated to degree level and worked “for a leading Welsh utility company”. The court heard Hanford had admitted being sexually attracted to children, which the barrister described as “a candid admission which the courts rarely hear in such cases”.

The defence claimed the selling of images was “partly financially motivated” to support his mother who was unable to work.

Judge Thomas said Hanford had been caught with “a huge number” of indecent images, including Category A images showing children and babies – including newborn babies – being sexually abused. He added that the defendant was perpetuating and fuelling the “vile” market for such material by selling the images.

The judge referred to a reference from Hanford’s mother which spoke of her pride in her son’s personal characteristics, stating either she was unaware of the nature of the offending or the reference “perhaps gives a clue as to why you turned out the way you did”.

Hanford received a 28-month prison sentence with a one-third discount for his guilty pleas. He will serve up to half in custody before release on licence. He will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.