Joshua Waldron, an individual with a sexual attraction to minors, disseminated video and photographs depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as five years old. Additionally, Joshua Waldron was discovered engaging in dialogues with other morally corrupt individuals, discussing what he euphemistically called “young pricks”.
On May 13, 2021, police visited Joshua Waldron, 29, at his former residence in Oakenholt, Flintshire, in response to an allegation from Yahoo stating that the defendant had been posting child abuse photographs using his email account. Several electronic devices were confiscated, including an iPhone and a Samsung phone.
During a sentencing hearing at Mould Crown Court on Wednesday, it was revealed that the Samsung phone included a total of 58 Category A photographs depicting child abuse, 39 Category B images, and 27 Category C images. According to Prosecutor Ember-Jane Wong, Joshua Waldron was discovered to have both films and photos depicting the abuse of minors aged between five and 15 years old.
The defendant was discovered to be utilising an application called Telegram to partake in discussions with other individuals involved in child pornography and to disseminate a combined total of 29 photographs classified as Category A, nine images classified as Category B, and 20 images classified as Category C.
Joshua Waldron, of no fixed abode, was interviewed by police and attempted to distance himself from the material on his device, even going as far as to implicate his ex-partner and her brother falsely. This was dismissed by a jury that convicted him of three counts of possessing indecent images and three counts of distributing indecent images. The court heard Joshua Waldron had four previous convictions of a dissimilar nature, the latest burglary.
In mitigation, Simon Mintz said Joshua Waldron, who continues to deny the offences, had a “difficult childhood” following the breakdown of his parents’ relationship and was bullied at school. He said the defendant lived a solitary life due to his work as a crane driver, which required him to travel around the UK.
Recorder John Philpotts sentenced Waldron to a total of three years imprisonment. Joshua Waldron was made subject to sex offender notification requirements for life and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.