Ray Lombard

A 46-year-old man from Crowborough, East Sussex, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for a series of grave child sex offences committed online. Ray Lombard, residing on Croft Road, was investigated after police identified him accessing child abuse material on the internet. His activities exposed the dark underbelly of online exploitation, involving the procurement and distribution of abusive content affecting vulnerable children worldwide.

Lombard's criminal behaviour came to light through diligent work by the Online Child Abuse Team. He was found to have livestreamed child abuse, arranged for acts of sexual abuse against children at his behest, and paid perpetrators to produce such material. Notably, he admitted to compensating a vulnerable woman in Ukraine to create child sexual abuse material featuring her daughter, who was under the age of five. Devices seized from Lombard contained over 5,000 images of child abuse classified as categories A and B, alongside extreme pornographic images. Investigators also discovered screen recordings of live-streamed sexual abuse of children, and evidence that he had established connections with other distributors of child abuse material while targeting vulnerable women online. Discussions of paedophilia and child exploitation were prevalent in his communications.

Lombard was arrested on 19 March 2024 and charged on 12 March 2025 at Eastbourne Custody Centre with three counts of making indecent images of children, eight counts of arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, causing to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity including penetration, and possessing extreme pornographic images. He appeared at Lewes Crown Court on 31 October 2025, where he entered guilty pleas to all charges. Sentencing occurred on 15 January 2026 at the same court, resulting in the 13-year custodial term. The court deferred consideration of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to a later date and mandated the destruction of all devices in Lombard's possession.

Detective Sergeant David Rose from the Online Child Abuse Team commented on the case, stating: “Lombard’s behaviour was abhorrent and demonstrates the very real dangers posed online by individuals who deliberately seek to groom and sexually exploit children. These crimes represent a profound abuse of trust and a complete disregard for the safety, dignity and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable members of society.” Rose further highlighted the lasting trauma inflicted on victims, their families, and communities, emphasising the team's commitment to disrupting such activities. The case was reported by The Argus, underscoring the ongoing efforts by Sussex Police to combat online child abuse.