Yuval Keren

A former rabbi from north London has been sentenced following the discovery of a large collection of indecent images of children on his devices. Yuval Keren, 56, from Pinner, appeared at Amersham Crown Court on Wednesday, where he was handed a 20-month suspended sentence for possessing the images, which dated back to 2010 and showed repeated access over 13 years.

The investigation into Keren was initiated after Dropbox reported suspicious uploads to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Officers from the NCA arrested Keren at his home address and seized his devices, uncovering 1,694 indecent images of children. Of these, 189 were classified as category A, the most extreme level, depicting horrific abuse, according to the NCA.

Keren pleaded guilty to five charges on 11 October. Following his arrest, he was immediately suspended from his position within the Liberal Judaism faith and no longer holds any role there. Holly Triggs, NCA operations manager, commented: 'The images showed the horrific abuse of children. The NCA is committed to protecting children and ensuring that individuals who collect this material, and create a demand for abuse content, are held to account.' The case was prosecuted under the remit of the Metropolitan Police, given the London location, though led by the NCA.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Keren will spend 10 years on the Sex Offenders Register. The court proceedings took place at Amersham Crown Court, part of the HM Courts & Tribunals Service.