Sheldon Bateson

A Nelson man, Sheldon Bateson, has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison for distributing disturbing child sex images. The 29-year-old admitted to the offences at Burnley Crown Court, where he was described by the judge as the instigator of depraved behaviour involving explicit sexual pictures and videos of children.

The case came to light when Bateson's old mobile phone was purchased at a second-hand shop, and the buyer discovered 17 videos and 55 images of child sexual abuse material. Six of the most serious images had been sent by Bateson to his co-defendant, Chloe Dunn, then aged 17, in Portsmouth. The pair had never met in person but communicated online, sharing 'sick fantasies' involving children. Bateson openly told Dunn he was a paedophile, and their discussions escalated to include what they would do with her unborn baby once born, as reported by prosecutor Stephen Parker.

Prosecutor Mr Parker detailed in court: 'Bateson told Dunn he was a paedophile and Dunn told him she was pregnant. They discussed what they would do with the baby when it was born.' The discovery of the phone shocked the buyer to the extent that it caused them to be physically sick, highlighting the horrific nature of the content, which included an image of a baby under 18 months old.

• Bateson sent the images to Dunn and others who shared his perverted tastes.
• The material was found on a discarded phone bought second-hand.
• Bateson showed no emotion during the court proceedings as the details were read out.

Judge Beverley Lunt, sentencing Bateson, stated: 'You tried to blame Chloe Dunn but you were the instigator. You sent these images to her and others who shared your sick and perverted tastes. This was a very depraved form of behaviour.' In addition to the custodial sentence, Bateson was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to protect the public from further offences.

The case was handled at Burnley Crown Court, with Lancashire Constabulary involved in the investigation following the phone's discovery. Bateson, of Fulham Street, Nelson, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children, confirming his role as the primary offender in this online exchange of illegal material.