Dangerous Paedophile From Bournemouth Jailed

6 May 2014, 09:36 | Updated: 6 May 2014, 09:46

Benjamin Ashman, from Hyde Road, was sentenced to 18 months on Friday after the county's biggest investigation into indecent images of children.

The 37-year-old has been convicted of making, possessing and distributing vast amounts of indecent images of children, including a four-year-old British girl. 

Ashman was discovered distributing the indecent images of children to fellow paedophiles around the world. 

He was caught as a result of a skilful and focused investigation carried out by an officer from Dorset Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT). 

Ashman was identified after another police force informed Dorset POLIT that he had been in conversation with another convicted sex offender with a recovered conversation being found on a computer. 

This was the largest child indecent image case ever investigated by Dorset Police and required a dedicated team due to the sensitivity and specialised investigative methods used. 

Detectives from POLIT and Dorset Police’s High Tech Crime Unit spent hours analysing extreme and horrific material of the worst classification of abuse found on Ashman’s computer. 

Hundreds of explicit and shocking text messages were also recovered on Ashman’s mobile phone between himself and another offender along with more images of the UK child. 

Benjamin Ashman was sentenced to a total of 18 months imprisonment on Friday 2 May 2014 at Bournemouth Crown Court. 

He pleaded guilty at the same court on 24 March 2014 to: 27counts of making and possessing indecent photographs of a child 3 counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child 1 taking an indecent photograph of a child Director of Public Protection, Acting Detective Superintendent Chris Naughton said: 

“We are using technology to combat offenders who use the internet as weapon to attack and abuse children. 

“We will track you, we will arrest you and we will convict you with the severest sentence at our disposal. 

“I also urge those abusing children to seek professional help from either their GP or another professional organisation such as Stop it Now! of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation. 

“Targeting criminals in cyber space and safeguarding children from serious harm remains a priority for Dorset Police in 2014 and beyond.” 

The Paedophile Online Investigation Team can be contacted on 101. In an emergency always dial 999. 

For more information visit: UK safer internet centre website. www.saferinternet.org.uk Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre. www.ceop.police.uk CEOP resources suitable for parents and children of different ages. www.thinkuknow.co.uk www.stopitnow.org.uk