Man handed 10-year sexual harm prevention order for online child abuse image offences

A man, who spent more than a decade building an extensive collection of 100,000 child sexual abuse images, was sentenced on Friday 7 March. 

Adam Dodden, of Wiveliscombe, was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court (sitting at North Somerset Courthouse) after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possession of prohibited images of children and one count of possession of extreme pornography.

Last year Avon and Somerset Police received information that indecent images of children were being accessed and downloaded from within an address in Wiveliscombe. The Internet Child Abuse Team executed a search warrant on 9 September and Dodden was arrested.

He was interviewed the same day, where he admitted responsibility and expressed disgust at what he had done.

A detailed examination of the 40-year-old’s devices found since 2010 he had established a collection of 1,343 category A images, which are the most serious, 1,116 category B images and 108,036 category C images. In addition to this, he was also in possession of 97 prohibited images of children, and three extreme pornographic images.

We are not aware that Dodden ever came into contact with these children, with all his offences relating to online activity.

Dodden received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He also was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Benn Murphy, said: “Accessing or downloading indecent imagery of children is not a victimless crime; perpetrators often don’t stop to think about the lives of young children destroyed by the abuse that takes place behind it.

“These images depict the worst possible forms of child abuse and those perpetrators who access them create a market for further images to be produced.  

“People accessing indecent images, or with an interest in doing, should stop and seek help, which is available from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which operates a helpline service on 0808 1000 900.”