Australian police alert aided child sex conviction

Woody Spencer's phone contained 163 indecent images of children, Exeter Crown Court heard

A man has been convicted of distributing videos of himself sexually assaulting a young girl online after an alert by Australian police.

Woody Spencer, 34, of Hexworthy Avenue, Exeter, was arrested at his home address on 8 March by National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators, Exeter Crown Court heard.

It followed information from the Australian Federal Police relating to a video posted online of child sexual abuse, with the suspect identified as a UK national.

Spencer had attempted to conceal his identity in the video, but the NCA said its experts identified him.

'Global threat'

The court heard that Spencer's phone contained 163 indecent images of children.

Forty-three of these were category A, the most serious, with 50 at category B and 70 at category C.

Spencer was found guilty of numerous offences including assault of a child under 13, sexual assault of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempted rape, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing a child to watch sexual activity and making and distributing indecent images of children.

He was also found guilty on an earlier date of voyeurism offences against an 18-year-old woman, who he had covertly recorded without permission whilst she was in the shower.

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 29 November.

NCA operations manager, Holly Triggs said after the case that the victims had been "subjected to horrific sexual abuse, for the sexual gratification of Woody Spencer and others online".

She added that "tackling this global threat remains a priority for the NCA and our partners".

"We will continue to work tirelessly to protect those affected by child sexual abuse and stop offenders who pose a sexual threat to children, no matter where in the world they are," she said.