Man caught with vile images as monitoring app tipped off police

A MAN with “deep-seated paedophilic traits” downloaded thousands of computer-generated images and videos of children being sexually abused, a court has heard.

- JASON EVANS

Daryl Lawton was out of prison on licence following a previous conviction for possession of indecent images when he accessed the pictures and carried out “sinister” internet searches.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said that were he to impose a term of immediate custody the defendant would only serve “a handful of months” back in prison and therefore - and “not without misgivings” - he had decided on a different course of action.

Sarah John, prosecuting, told the court that in February last year Lawton was released on licence from prison where he was serving a sentence for possession of indecent images. As part of his release conditions the defendant had monitoring software installed on his laptop computer.

The court heard that four months later the monitoring app notified police of the presence of “concerning” imagery on the device and officers subsequently went to Lawton's home.

The defendant was noted to be “shaking and upset” and at one stage produced a Stanley-type knife from his pocket, which he held out in front of him. Officers persuaded Lawton to put the weapon down.

The defendant's laptop was seized and he was arrested and taken to Swansea Central police station.

Lawton answered “no comment” to all questions asked in his subsequent interview and was released under investigation.