LONDON, Oct 12 — A 30-year-old man from Llanfechell, near Amlwch, Anglesey in Wales was found in possession of videos of people having sex with animals and more disturbingly, an image of a young girl being sexually abused.
James Owen now has been ordered by the Caernarfon Crown Court to serve 100 hours of unpaid labour, undergo six months of alcohol treatment and 45 days of rehabilitation activity, and remain on the UK sexual offender register for seven years, the BBC reported yesterday.
According to the news report, Owen was arrested in October 2022 at his home while UK police were investigating a paedophile named Craig Lewis who was suspected of abusing minors and filming them for distribution.
The police found evidence of online chats between Owen and Lewis, and a picture of a girl believed to be between eight and 10 years old being sexually abused, which the former claimed not to have seen.
Later, investigators found more images of people having sex with a horse, dog, and even a tortoise, which Owen claimed to have been sent to him as a joke and that he didn’t know that pictures of bestiality were illegal.
Owen was reported to have pled guilty to both offences in September after the court was told his internet searches suggested he had a sexual interest in children.
His lawyer, Sion ap Mihangel, told the court that alcohol had been a significant contributor to Owen’s offence, but that the latter had shown genuine remorse and “felt an overwhelming sense of shame”.
In sentencing, judge Timothy Petts reportedly said Owen’s offences were “clearly serious”, but said there was also a low risk of him re-offending.
* If you suspect child abuse, call the following hotlines for free and confidential support: Talian Kasih at 15999 or WhatsApp 019-2615999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR) (noon-midnight daily); and One Crisis Centre (24/7) Wilayah Persekutuan at 03-26155555 (Kuala Lumpur General Hospital), 03-61454333 (Sungai Buloh Hospital) or 03-83124200 (Putrajaya Hospital).
