Carlisle activity leader jailed for distributing images of child abuse

A children's activity leader from Carlisle who swapped illegal images of kids has been jailed for two years.

Oliver Owen was arrested for downloading illegal images when police went to his home on Bowman Street in October 2020.

In response to the caution, Owen stated: “Yes, I think I have totally ruined my life and all I have worked for.”

Officers found around 6,000 still and moving images of children — including 1,081 classed in category A, the most serious — on the 25-year-old's mobile phone.

These had been created during an 18-month period using three separate applications.

Also located on the phone were online conversations with others in which Owen discussed his sexual interest in children, prosecutor Tim Evans told Carlisle Crown Court.

Videos had been traded about which Owen made a number of sick comments.

The court heard he had also been involved in a group chat where child abuse was discussed and suggested ways it could be done, including a website targeting struggling mothers and “opening a orphanage where they could sell time with kids to the highest bidder”.

In addition, a series of sick internet search terms were recovered.

A man of previous good character, Owen admitted the distribution of illegal images, including category A, and making indecent photographs of children.

In defence, Judith McCullough said Owen was “truly ashamed of himself”, had the full support of his family, accessed the services of a child protection charity and was “genuinely seeking to understand and deal with his issues”.

“The defendant says he didn’t know how to escape and he was pleased, effectively, to be caught,” said Ms McCullough of his offending.

Imposing an immediate prison sentence, Judge Ian Unsworth QC accepted that the facts of Owen’s offending would be “truly shocking” to his family and friends.

“You descended into the very depths of depravity,” said Judge Unsworth. “This is a truly serious case of its type.”

Owen must sign the sex offenders’ register and comply with the strict terms of a prevention order, both for 10 years.