A 37-year-old man who admitted making indecent images of children, including material showing children as young as two being sexually abused, has avoided an immediate prison term at Cardiff Crown Court.
Louis Piacentini, of no fixed abode, received a 32-week sentence suspended for two years. The court was told that because of his offending he can no longer live at the family home he shared with his partner and their five children. He is now homeless, sleeping in a tent in Newport and sometimes staying in a hotel.
The sentence
Alongside the suspended term, Judge Eugene Egan ordered Piacentini to complete:
- An accredited programme requirement of 26 sessions
- A mental health treatment requirement of 12 sessions
- A probation requirement
- 180 hours of unpaid work
He must also pay £150 in costs. He has been made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 10 years.
The judge’s remarks
Addressing Piacentini as he passed sentence, Judge Egan said: “Somewhere in the world, numerous real children were sexually abused to make the content you saw. Individuals filmed those despicable images as they knew people like you would be interested in this depraved content… (The children) and their plight must not be forgotten in all this.”
The investigation
Police called at Piacentini’s home on 27 June 2025 after connecting him to a Kik account that had been used to upload indecent images of children. He was arrested, and officers seized a mobile phone when they searched the property.
Piacentini gave officers the PIN for the handset so it could be forensically examined. When he was interviewed, he answered “no comment”.
What was on the phone
Prosecutor Tim Lewis told the court the device held:
- Category A images showing children as young as two being subjected to penetrative sexual abuse
- Category B images of children aged between nine and 11 being abused
- Category C images of children aged between five and 15
Piacentini went on to plead guilty to three counts of making indecent images.
Mitigation
The court heard Piacentini was of previous good character. Gareth Williams, representing him, said his client has a partner and five children but is unable to remain at the family home as a result of the offences. Mr Williams added that Piacentini has a good employment history, and his employer had supplied a reference to the court.
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