Leeds student jailed for selling sickening child sex images to paedophiles to fund his addiction to drink, drugs and gambling

Oliver Jenkins was found in possession of thousands of illegal images and videos when police searched his accommodation in Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Jenkins committed the offences in 2019 while studying in Leeds.

West Yorkshire Police officers seized mobile phones and computer equipment from the property he was living at on Belle Vue Road, Woodhouse.

They contained evidence of him sending abusive child images to others.

The court heard Jenkins had accessed the images and then stored them in files which were sent to paedophiles for payment.

Jenkins also sent 'customers' advice on how to open and view the images.

Payments were made via a Paypal.

Jenkins was found in possession of 73 movies and 126 still images at category A - the most serious level of offending.

He also had more than 6,000 moving and still images at category C.

Jenkins, of Bannister Green, Essex, pleaded guilty to eight counts of distributing an indecent image of a child and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.

Nawaz Hussain, mitigating, said the offence was unusual because Jenkins' offending was financially, not sexually, motivated.

Mr Hussain said the defendant has no sexual interest in children and committed the offences to fund his addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling.

The barrister said Jenkins comes from a supportive family. His girlfriend had stood by him since his arrest and they are still together.

Mr Hussain said: "His father had a distinguished career in The City. When he learned that his son had gone down this dark and disgusting path for just a few hundred pounds he could not make sense of it.

"If his son had come and told him the situation he was in he could have made it go away,"

The court was told Jenkins lost his place at university as a result of the convictions.

Describing the offending, Mr Hussain added: "He was caught up in the lap of addiction. For reasons he finds difficult to comprehend he saw this as potentially a way out for him.

"He pushed aside his moral compass, ethics and everything his family had taught him to walk down this dark road."

Jailing Jenkins for 20 months, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: "You were profiting from the images you had collected then parcelled up into files for onward sale.

"I accept you had no sexual interest in the images yourself. I instead have to sentence you for your decision to monetise those images.

"You were increasing their circulation and feeding the illegal habit of those you sold them on to.

"Despite all the privileges and advantages you have had in your life, your lifestyle of drug taking, drinking and gambling has put you here."