BBC journalist given suspended sentence for making and possessing child sex abuse images

A BBC journalist who was caught with 26 videos and nine images of child abuse on his home computer has been given a suspended sentence.

Lloyd Watson, 33, from Gateshead, admitted three charges of making indecent images.

One of the videos showed abuse involving a young girl who was in obvious distress, the BBC reported on its website.

Watson worked for the BBC News website in Newcastle, but has now been dismissed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Watson had trawled the dark web to obtain his material until his home computer was seized by police in March 2016.

Photographs and videos were found from all three categories used by the courts to classify the gravity the child sex abuse images, including the most severe classification that includes rape, bestiality and sadism.

In a document entitled “confessions text” found on his computer, Watson wrote that he had done nothing wrong, and that it was the people who had made such images who should be held accountable.

The court heard he had no previous convictions and was seeking professional help for his behaviour.

Sentencing him to nine months in prison – suspended for two years – Judge Amanda Rippon told Watson he was complicit in the abuse of children by viewing the images.

Watson was placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years and given a sexual harm prevention order.

In a statement, the BBC said: “He will no longer be working for the BBC. His crimes were entirely unrelated to his work for us.”