Risca paedophile caught sharing child abuse images

A paedophile from Risca has been handed a suspended sentence after being caught sharing horrific child abuse images with other like-minded offenders.

Nicholas Froom, 54, from Eppynt Close, Trenewydd Park, was arrested following a tip-off to Gwent Police from the National Crime Agency. Officers raided his home in June and discovered child abuse material on his phone.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Froom had stored 37 category A images (the most serious kind), 12 category B images, and 11 category C images. The material he shared included an image of a three-year-old child being raped.

Prosecutor Sol Hartley told the court: “He said to the police he was sexually attracted to 15-year-old children but not to babies. The defendant said that he was, in his own mind, not a threat to children but was disgusted with himself.”

Mr Hartley added: “The category A images showed victims in discernible pain and distress.”

Froom admitted distributing category A and C indecent images of children and making category A, B and C indecent images of children.

Defence barrister William Bebb said: “He is genuine in terms of his remorse, he is genuinely contrite. The defendant has no previous convictions.”

The court heard Froom has been working with a charity to “rehabilitate himself” and there is “a real commitment for change”.

Judge Eugene Egan called Froom “warped” and told him: “Your full and frank admissions upon your arrest and your early guilty pleas have come to your rescue today. This was a real knife-edge case.”

He jailed the defendant for two years, suspended for two years. Froom must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was made subject to a four-month electronically monitored curfew between 8pm and 6am, and must register as a sex offender for 10 years. A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed for the same period.

Froom must pay a victim surcharge and £150 prosecution costs.