Locations
Rundle Place, Pocklington, York, North Yorkshire, YO42
Description
Nathan Waddell engaged in “at least 19 conversations” over a six-week period on the messenger app, Telegram, with analysis of his devices showing he even sent videos to multiple people involved in a single chat.
He had also stored almost 1,000 images in a personal “library”, involving children as young as two being abused in the most horrific way, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Judge Simon Batiste jailed him for two years this week and told him: “The message must go out that if you distribute such vile images, then custody will follow that. Some were of very young children. It makes it more serious that you distributed them.”
Prosecutor Charlotte Noddings said the National Crime Agency alerted West Yorkshire Police in August 2022 about images being uploaded by an account that was eventually traced back to Waddell.
They arrested him three months later on November 29 at his former in Leeds, seizing an iPhone, Apple MacBook and a USB stick. On them they found 148 video and images in Category A – depicting the most serious abuse. There were also over 200 Category B and 570 Category C.
They also retrieved 600 images classed as Category Six – which are not illegal images but contain children and could indicate a sexual interest in children, Miss Noddings said.
Following his arrest, 30-year-old Waddell was candid with police, admitting what he had done. He admitted two counts of distributing indecent images, and three counts of possessing indecent images. He has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Laurence Dilworth said Waddell, now of Rundle Place, Pocklington, East Yorkshire, had experienced mental health problems, lost his job, became withdrawn and isolated and “turned to pornography”.
He added: “He had a sexual attraction to children but has taken steps to address that by engaging with a children’s charity to prevent sexual abuse. He is ashamed of his actions and has taken steps to address his offending behaviour.”
In addition to his jail sentence, Waddell was put on the sex offender register for 10 years, and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to restrict his internet use.