‘Librarian’ of child abuse ring jailed for at least 45 months

A PAEDOPHILE who acted as a “librarian” for a global internet child abuse ring was jailed yesterday after one of the biggest undercover police investigations into online abuse in Britain.

Unemployed Philip Thompson, aged 27, amassed nearly a quarter of a million indecent pictures of children, including thousands in the two most serious categories.

He was jailed for a minimum of 45 months after pleading guilty to 27 child abuse charges at Teeside Crown Court in Middlesbrough.

Police said undercover officers have identified 360 suspects worldwide, made more than 50 arrests in Britain and saved 15 children from abuse during the long-running investigation.

British police, who worked with colleagues around the world, including in the US, Canada and Australia, said the verdict was a major victory and should act as a deterrent.

“He was a senior administrator for a paedophile website and was effectively a librarian for the storing and distribution of indecent images of children,” Detective Sergeant Rebecca Driscoll said outside court.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, a specialist police agency which helped the inquiry, said the trial followed the biggest deployment of undercover police in a child abuse case.

More than 130 of the suspects identified live in Britain and more arrests are likely. A number of arrests have already been carried out in North America, including a 35-year-old Canadian.