Newcastle cannabis farmer caught during search with indecent images has been jailed

A cannabis farmer has been jailed after police found indecent images while searching his house for drugs.

Nezir Slemaj first came to the attention of police last year, and his home on Northcote Street in Newcastle was searched by officers.

A total of 68 mature plants and 134 others at various stages of growth were seized alongside equipment valued at around £10,000.

When Slemaj was arrested, two mobile phones were also recovered and examined – with detectives later uncovering a range of indecent images and videos police call "horrific".

Slemaj was later charged and appeared at Newcastle Crown court on 16 December, where he was convicted of three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography and producing a Class B drug and was remanded in custody.

And on March 16, he was sentenced at the same court to a total of 16 months behind bars, given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Dan Hall from Northumbria Police said: “As a Force we are committed to protecting our communities from any form of criminality and the ripple effects that can happen as a result.

“In this case, a simple house search led to the seizure and destruction of a large quantity of Cannabis which could have made its way onto our streets and saw the profits reinvested into further crime.

“As part of our thorough investigation, a number of indecent images were also found on Slemaj’s phone and added to the solid file of evidence we were able to put before the courts.

“Slemaj had no previous convictions and what initially began as a drugs investigation has resulted in the conviction of a potentially dangerous sex offender who is now registered with law enforcement.”