Rod Blyth

Disgraced Former Councillor Convicted of Indecent Images Offences

Rod Blyth, a former Liberal Democrat councillor who represented Shaw ward on Oldham Council, has been convicted of possessing indecent images of children. The case, which came to light following a police investigation, resulted in Blyth receiving a suspended prison sentence at Manchester Crown Court on Minshull Street in December 2019. Despite rumours circulating on social media, Oldham Council confirmed that no indecent material was found on council-issued equipment, including the laptop provided to Blyth during his tenure.

Blyth pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent photographs of children in May 2019. The court sentenced him to a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years, along with a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a five-year sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offender register for ten years. The offences did not involve the use of his council laptop, as verified by the council during the Greater Manchester Police investigation.

• Blyth served as a councillor for 25 years before resigning in December 2017 amid the ongoing police probe, citing personal reasons.
• His suspension from the Liberal Democrat group occurred on 7 September 2017 following his arrest.
• The seat for Shaw ward was retained by the Liberal Democrats in the May 2018 local elections, with no by-election held due to the timing of his resignation.

Councillor Howard Sykes, leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrat group, issued a statement clarifying the party's position: 'On the 7th September 2017, Rod Blyth was suspended from the Liberal Democrat group of Oldham council following information that he had been arrested. The suspension was immediate and continued whilst Greater Manchester Police conducted their investigation.' Sykes further noted that Blyth resigned from both the council and the party on 9 December 2017, and at the time of conviction, he was a private citizen no longer affiliated with the Liberal Democrats.

A council spokesman elaborated: 'During the police investigation into a former Oldham council member, council-issue equipment, including a laptop, was seized. We understand that no indecent material was found on council-owned equipment.' Blyth had also been a member of the Shaw and Crompton parish council until his retirement in May 2015. The case underscores the separation between Blyth's public role and the private actions that led to his conviction, with Greater Manchester Police handling the investigation.