Christopher Kenyon

A 30-year-old Padiham man has been jailed for three years after using his social media accounts to upload indecent images of young children and publish explicit messages discussing child sexual abuse.

Christopher Kenyon, of The Shortlands, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children—spanning categories A, B, and C—as well as obscene publication.

The court heard that a police investigation uncovered scores of illicit files and text logs on Kenyon’s electronic devices. Among the material uploaded to his social media profiles were images depicting the abuse of children as young as two years old. Investigators also uncovered a series of online messages in which Kenyon discussed horrific child abuse fantasies.

Following his arrest and the extraction of the digital evidence, Kenyon admitted to the offenses.

In addition to the three-year prison sentence, Kenyon was issued a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Detective Constable Beth Turner, of the Internet Child Exploitation Team, condemned Kenyon's actions and welcomed the court's decision to hand down an immediate custodial sentence.

“Kenyon’s behaviour is utterly abhorrent, and I welcome the custodial sentence which he has been given,” DC Turner said. “Child sexual abuse and exploitation can cause lifelong physical and emotional trauma for victims."

DC Turner added that police forces will continue to aggressively target individuals involved in all facets of digital and physical child exploitation, including those who view, create, or distribute indecent material online.