Officer caught with extreme pornographic videos on his mobile phone

Apolice officer will lose his job after colleagues found “appalling” videos of extreme pornography on his phone.

Christopher Owen, 40, from Swansea, admitted two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images and was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Eleri Rees told the defendant: “You will pay a heavy price.”

The court heard Owen’s phone was seized in connection with an unrelated matter on January 25.

Roger Griffiths, prosecuting, said the video in the first charge he faced lasted for 26 seconds and was forwarded by the defendant using WhatsApp on January 20.

Prosecutors said Owen received a second video, which lasted for one minute and 45 seconds, on October 5.

A third video, lasting for two minutes and 28 seconds, was received on October 20. The court heard two of the videos involved animals.

Owen, from Parkwood in Gowerton, was interviewed on March 14 and made full admissions.

Mark Cotter, defending, stressed his client had no previous convictions and told the court he would lose his job as a result of the incident.

He said: “He has shown obvious, genuine remorse.”

He emphasised Owen was not watching the videos for sexual gratification and suggested the case showed “real dangers” of using WhatsApp.

The court heard he joined a group on the messaging app last summer to organise a group holiday.

Mr Cotter said: “This is a situation where the images were exchanged for shock value.”

Judge Eleri Rees noted the defendant had been a serving police officer at the time and described the images as “appalling”.

She said: “Being a police officer, he was in a better position than most to understand the seriousness.”

Owen received a community order, requiring him to complete 15 days of a rehabilitation activity, comply with a four-month curfew and pay costs of £145 plus an £85 victim surcharge.