Man jailed for possessing indecent images of children

Alun Kew

Alun Kew of Gale Street, Littleborough, who went on the run after he was arrested for downloading and distributing almost 9,000 indecent images of children, many of them 'Level 5', which are regarded as the most serious and distressing in terms of content, has been sentenced.

Kew (born 13/12/72) pleaded guilty to 27 counts of possession of indecent images of children and two counts of distribution of child images.

On Thursday 29 August 2013, at Carlisle Crown Court, Kew was jailed for three years and ordered to sign the Sex Offender's Register and made the subject of a Sexual Offender's Prevention Order to run for 10 years.

On 24 July 2012, officers from the Rochdale Division executed a warrant at Kew's address on Gale Street. Kew was arrested and then bailed pending further enquiries.

An aircraft engineer working at Manchester Airport at the time of his arrest, Kew then breached his bail conditions and went on the run, failing to report to the police station when he was due to answer bail.

His exile took him to Burnley and then Thailand, but in July 2013 officers from the East Integrated Neighbourhood Policing Team (INPT) based at Rochdale eventually traced Kew to an address in Glasgow where he was found and arrested.

Police Constable Gregory Chambers of the Rochdale East INPT said: "Behind each of these images is a real victim.

"Kew then exploited the benefit of the doubt he was given when he was bailed. He felt he could evade capture by going on the run and setting up a new life in Scotland.

"The clear message here is, GMP officers will leave no stone unturned in bringing serious offenders to justice."