William John Field

William John Field, a 54-year-old resident of Queen Street in Aberystwyth, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court for possessing and distributing a vast collection of indecent images of child sexual abuse. Police investigations revealed that Field had amassed more than 420,000 pictures and videos categorised as indecent, with an additional 1.3 million images that were not examined due to their sheer volume. The categorised material included 4,307 Category A images—the most severe, often showing rape and extreme abuse of children ranging from babies just a few months old to teenagers—4,328 Category B images, and 415,766 Category C images.

Further evidence showed that Field had sold thousands of these indecent images to a sex offender in the Midlands for £200, thereby actively participating in the trade of such material. His barrister, Peter Warne, argued that Field had an addictive personality, possibly replacing his alcohol addiction with this behaviour, and that he accepted his problem and had joined Sex Addicts Anonymous. However, Judge Paul Thomas QC, with 25 years of experience in the crown court, described the haul as the largest he had encountered, calling the Category A images 'depraved beyond belief' and stating that Field's actions 'fuel the evil trade' in indecent images.

The case highlights the horrific nature of child sexual abuse material, where real children suffer torture and abuse for the gratification of offenders like Field. Sources from Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed the extent of the collection during the raid on his home.