A 'dangerous' pervert who downloaded so-called paedophile manuals is off the streets and behind bars thanks to the tireless and unenviable work of specialist police officers.
Nicky Lloyd was locked up after admitting a string of disgusting crimes including possession of e-books about how to gain the trust of kids in order to sexually abuse them and 24,282 indecent images of children – one of whom was a six-month-old baby.
Now Cheshire Constabulary have revealed how they were able to bring 32-year-old Lloyd to justice.
Officers raided an address on Straker Avenue in Ellesmere Port – where Lloyd was living at the time – on the back of vital information about his online activity.
He was arrested and charged after forensic examination of his computer and hard drives betrayed his sickening stash.
The force’s dedicated Paedophile Unit then set about pulling together a compelling file of evidence against Lloyd, which was instrumental in his pleading guilty to all nine charges he faced.
Branding Lloyd ‘an individual who had a clear and dangerous interest in children’, Detective Constable Andy Kent said of his offending: “It escalated from image collecting, to obtaining advice on the ‘dark web’, through to getting hold of a paedophile manual – which provides graphic guidance and instruction on how to select, groom, gain the trust and then sexually abuse children without getting caught.
“Paedophiles cannot hide online, the internet leaves a digital footprint and rest assured we will find it, and we will take action.
“We take offences of this nature extremely seriously and I hope that Lloyd’s time behind bars will allow him to reflect upon his actions – and the consequences of that.”
Lloyd’s conviction was the first Cheshire Constabulary has secured against people who have paedophile manuals in their possession under new legislation.
A legal loophole meant an old law could only prosecute the publisher, not those found in possession of them but this changed thanks to Section 69 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.
Lloyd, of no fixed address, was handed a 26-month sentence and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane has praised the ‘hard work’ of the officers involved in the case and sought to reassure communities that they will continue to ensure offenders like Lloyd face the consequences of their actions.
