A man from Swindon, UK has pleaded guilty to being involved in a dark web site that hosted disturbing content related to child abuse. Brett Saunders, a 50-year-old man, was identified as a “global moderator” on the hidden site, where he uploaded numerous images and videos of abuse. The National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that they also recovered 65,000 files on his devices relating to indecent images of children. The site had over 2,000 members and Saunders enforced the site’s rules and provided advice on evading law enforcement detection.
When NCA officers arrested Saunders, they found the website open on his laptop with him logged into his account. Following his arrest, Wiltshire Police charged him with breaching a sexual harm prevention order related to previous offenses. He was sentenced to two years and eight months for the breach. In 2023, he faced further charges including arranging/facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, participating in the criminal activities of an organized crime group, distributing and making indecent images of children, and possessing a prohibited image of a child.
Recently, at Swindon Magistrates Court, Saunders pleaded guilty to all nine counts and is set to be sentenced on March 5th. The NCA described Saunders as directly responsible for facilitating the sexual abuse of children on a global scale. According to Adam Priestley, NCA branch commander, Saunders dedicated significant time to maintaining the site and played a crucial role in posting and encouraging the sharing of disturbing content related to child abuse.
The case has shed light on the disturbing trend of individuals using the dark web to engage in illegal and harmful activities, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and law enforcement efforts to combat such forms of online exploitation. The sentencing of Saunders will be an important moment in addressing the impact and consequences of participating in such abhorrent activities.