Taunton, UK – A 52-year-old man from Somerset has been sentenced to four years in prison for live-streaming child sexual abuse from the Philippines and possessing hundreds of indecent images of children, following a joint investigation between British and international authorities.
Darren Ashton, from Washford, was arrested by officers from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) after intelligence was received from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Philippines. Investigators revealed that Ashton had regularly accessed websites to view real-time child sexual abuse and had actively participated in online discussions involving the exploitation of boys aged 13 and 14.
NCA Operations Manager Danielle Pownall said Ashton’s actions had directly contributed to the abuse of vulnerable children overseas.
“Ashton was abusing children over the internet, encouraging them to send images and videos, and watching live-streamed child sexual abuse from the Philippines,” she said. “Live streaming exploits vulnerable children and Ashton’s offending means he is directly responsible for the harm it causes them.”
Operating under the online alias “Daz from England”, Ashton was found to have communicated with children in various countries. In one recovered, previously deleted chat, he was seen asking a child believed to be around 11 years old from Singapore to send indecent images.
During a search of his home, officers seized multiple electronic devices containing a vast quantity of indecent material. The total included:
- 185 images classified as Category A (the most serious)
- 244 Category B images
- 266 Category C images
- 10 extreme or prohibited images
Initially, Ashton denied the charges during police interviews. However, he later pleaded guilty to multiple offences related to the possession and distribution of indecent images and the commissioning of sexual abuse online. He was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on 13 February.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Ashton will be permanently added to the UK Sex Offenders Register and is now subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), restricting his access to digital devices and contact with minors.
The NCA emphasized the global nature of child exploitation crimes and reiterated its commitment to working with international partners to identify offenders and protect children worldwide.
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