Man pleads guilty to creating and sharing sexual images of children

Hugh Nelson, aged 27, used computer technology and real images of children to create sexual abuse images and sold them on the internet. 

Nelson, of Briggs Fold Road, Egerton, also encouraged the rape of children over the internet. 

After pleading guilty to five charges at an earlier date, today, August 9, he pleaded guilty to another 11 charges at Bolton Crown Court. 

It was found that Nelson frequented internet chatrooms where he would exchange and sell computer-generated ‘artwork’ and discuss child sexual abuse with others. 

Through these online chatrooms Nelson accepted requests from individuals who wanted him to create explicit images depicting children being harmed both sexually and physically, which he either sold in exchange for money or shared to others for free.

Some of this computer-generated artwork requested used images of real children. 

Over an 18-month period, Nelson admits he made around £5,000 from selling these images. 

Hugh Nelson (Image: GMP)

Police seized his devices following his initial arrest. New evidence from these searches found that on three separate occasions, to three separate individuals, Nelson exchanged messages on chatrooms capable of encouraging the rape of children under 13.

The new charges include three counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of the rape of a child under the age of 13, one count of attempting to cause a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children, three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing prohibited images of children. 

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Nelson will be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on September 25. 

Jeanette Smith, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Hugh Nelson used a computer programme to create realistic images of the most depraved nature to share with other like-minded individuals.

Nelson pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

“It is particularly disturbing that through his online discussions, Nelson exchanged messages capable of encouraging adults to inflict horrifying sexual abuse on young children, all for his own sexual gratification.

“The misuse of emerging technology to create this material is a serious crime which can have a traumatic impact on victims.

"Real children are being victimised through the creation of this content, and in some instances, children who have already suffered abhorrent sexual abuse are having their image used again to recreate new abuse scenarios upon the request and demand from dark corners of the internet."

She added: “Technology is rapidly evolving and, unfortunately, so too is its risk to children. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that those who exploit this technology in the worst possible way and inflict harm on children will be robustly pursued by law enforcement, prosecuted by the CPS and brought to justice.” 

Carly Baines, Detective Constable for Greater Manchester Police said: “This case is a first in our area, and is a landmark case nationally, as technology continues to develop, grow, and become more frequently used for a variety of reasons.

“We’ve worked incredibly closely with several teams, including national investigation units and a specialist solicitor and prosecutor from the national Crown Prosecution Service team, to gather the strongest possible evidence to present, and to determine how to proceed.

“I hope the public are reassured by the tenacity of this collective effort to hold online child abusers to account, and that no matter what methods they attempt to use, we will be there to catch them out and take proactive action.

"Even though the images created and distributed in this case were computer generated and not child abuse images in the traditional sense, behaviour of this nature will absolutely not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.”