Man paid to watch children as young as seven being sexually abused

Man paid to watch children as young as seven being sexually abused

A Gloucestershire man who sent payments to the Philippines in return for live feeds of children being sexually abused has been jailed following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.

Paul Renwick, 60, from Stroud, was arrested by NCA officers after a number of payments were identified going from his account to money service bureaus in the Philippines.

Investigators found that he had been communicating with facilitators of live streams, sending money in exchange for watching and directing children as young as seven being abused.

From December 2017 to September 2018, Renwick sent over nine payments to streamers in the Philippines for live feeds of children being sexually abused.

Evidence suggested he had been paying for access to this abuse since 2005, sending at least £7,000 overseas.

He was arrested by the NCA in August 2021.

In interview, he admitted he had sent money to the Philippines for what he called 'live sex shows' but stated he believed the individuals were over 18. He also confessed to having a sexual interest in females aged 12 to 14 years old.

Forensic examination of his devices found numerous indecent images of children - 45 in Category A, 70 in Category B, and 172 in Category C. A further 22 prohibited and 22 extreme images were also discovered.

Renwick appeared at Northampton Crown Court and pleaded guilty to three counts of paying for sexual services of a child and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image and one count of possessing prohibited images of children.

He was sentenced to six years in prison with a 12 month extended license period and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the same court today (18 November).

Danny Waywell, NCA senior investigating officer, said:

"Our investigation evidenced that Paul Renwick was a prolific offender, directing and paying for the sexual abuse of children since 2005.

"Renwick may have thought that the distance between him and the abuse meant he could operate without detection, but the NCA's work with partners overseas has uncovered the scale of his crimes.

"The NCA will continue to bring criminals like Renwick to justice and pursue those who have any involvement in the abuse of children."

18 November 2024