Ex-Senedd lobbyist jailed for child abuse images

Daran Hill has been sentenced to three years and four months

A former Senedd lobbyist has been jailed for making and distributing indecent images of children as young as three years old.

Daran Hill, 52, was found with 62 indecent images including eight in the most serious category after being arrested by National Crime Agency officers in August 2021.

He shared many of the images with other users on the social messaging platform Kik.

Hill has been sentenced to three years and four months, half of which will be served on licence.

During an investigation in 2018, the BBC found Kik featured in more than 1,100 child sexual abuse cases in the last five years.

Newport Crown Court heard on Tuesday that when police arrived at his home in Cardiff, Hill told them: “I know why you’re here. I made a mistake.

“I only did it a couple of times. I don’t know why I have done it. I didn’t even enjoy it.

"I can't believe you're here for such a small amount."

Jeffery Jones defending, said his client later explained he was referring only to the images on his iPhone.

Multiple videos and images were discovered, including a number of Category A, the most serious, involving children aged seven to 12.

The youngest child seen in the images was a three-year-old girl.

He watched and shared several videos and photographs with individuals on WhatsApp and in group chats.

"I know why you’re here. I made a mistake," Hill told police as they arrived at his home

The court heard how he used his former work email address to register his Kik account.

He shared videos with up to 96 other people using the platform, and gave advice on how to search for and find indecent images of children online.

The court heard he was in a “very dark place” due to “tragic events in his personal life”, including the death of his mother and another "close friend".

He felt isolated during the pandemic and began to drink more.

His arrest had caused “irreparable damage” to his relationship with his immediate family and had led to the collapse of a successful career and his financial security, the court heard.

His barrister said that the images repulsed him and he was “disgusted”.

'Shame, guilt, regret'

The court was told he felt “shame, guilt and profound regret” for what he had done and that he had left the family home.

“Your mental health issues do not reduce your culpability,” said the judge, the Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke.

She also said there were a number of aggravating factors including the age of the children.

The fact that he had assisted others on how to find such images had “added to the suffering these children were already experiencing for his own sexual gratification".

Hill will serve half his sentence in prison and half on licence.

Daran Hill arriving at court in Cardiff

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will be in force for 15 years.

Well-known in Welsh politics, Hill was heavily involved in two Welsh devolution referendum campaigns.

He was national organiser of the Yes for Wales campaign for the first devolution referendum in 1997, and was campaign director of the Yes campaign in the 2011 vote on giving the assembly law making powers.

Hill was previously managing director at Positif, which provided advice to companies seeking to lobby Welsh politicians.