Essa Oghul

Essa Oghul, aged 45, from Todds Nook, Newcastle, was involved in a case alongside Abdullah Hamood at Newcastle Crown Court concerning the distribution and possession of indecent images of children. The investigation began with intelligence from Northumbria Police in January 2021, identifying a Facebook account linked to Oghul sending an indecent Category A video to Hamood.

Oghul was arrested in December 2022 for an unrelated matter, leading to the seizure of his mobile phone. Forensic analysis revealed four Category C indecent images of children on the device, including one of a child aged between two and four years, as well as one image and four videos of extreme pornography. It was also discovered that Oghul had distributed one Category C image of a child.

Oghul pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a photograph of a child, one count of making an indecent photograph, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. Recorder Makepeace dismissed Oghul's explanations that the sharing was a joke, remarking: "Again, there are similar, very worrying explanations. I do not accept that you shared these images as a joke. How any right thinking person would think it is a joke. You did it, I have no doubt, for your own sexual gratification." With no previous convictions and assessed as low risk of reoffending, Oghul was sentenced to an 18-month community order, including 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

The case, reported by Chronicle Live on 29 May 2025, emphasises the ongoing efforts by Northumbria Police to address child sexual abuse material distribution in the community.