Sheffield judge issues warning to those who view child abuse images as he jails dad

Kyle Willis remained silent as Judge Peter Kelson QC sent him to prison for 10 months, during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on February 10.

Despite initially claiming that the 394 child abuse images found on his electronic devices were as a result of ‘hacking,’ Willis later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

As he jailed Willis, Judge Kelson said: “I need to demonstrate to people who may be of the same mindset that this is what happens to those who download indecent images. You will be found out, you will be caught and you will be brought to justice.”

“You, and people like you, do need to realise that the children that you watch being raped are real victims. This is not a victimless crime,” he added.

Prosecutor, Andrew Bailey, told the court that Willis’ home was raided by police in February 2019, when officers seized his mobile telephone and a safe which contained two additional phones.

In addition to the indecent images of children found on Willis’ devices, forensic examination also revealed that the search terms he used to find the illegal content included ‘three year-old wh***,’ and ‘seven-year-old a** friend’.

The 24-year-old was found to have peer-to-peer software on his phone, such as YouTorrent and ‘Tor,’ the latter of which was described by Judge Kelson as the ‘gateway to the dark web’.

Police also discovered apps with the ability to encrypt, and permanently delete, items on his devices, something Judge Kelson said he regarded as an aggravating factor.

Laura Marshall, defending, said Willis had already ‘lost a lot’ as a result of his offending, including his home, his ‘five-year relationship’ and was ‘no longer allowed contact with his young child’.

She added that Willis, of North Road in East Dene, Rotherham had previously been someone who was well regarded in his community, but that had changed after the details of his crimes became public knowledge.

"He understands why people find what he did abhorrernt,” Ms Marshall said.

Willis was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was put on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.