Crime agency officer jailed for child abuse images

Adam Taylor was arrested by officers from the NCA's anti-corruption unit who linked illegal activity to his IP address

An intelligence officer who abused his access to the dark web to view indecent images of children on his work computer has been jailed for 18 months.

Adam Taylor accessed hundreds of the illegal images while working at the National Crime Agency (NCA) - Britain's version of the FBI - between 2019 and 2022.

The 40-year-old, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, later admitted two counts of misconduct in a public office and a number of sexual offences.

Sentencing him, Judge Justin Cole condemned Taylor for the "gross abuse of trust" placed in him.

The judge told Taylor "because of people like you there's a market for this", saying interest in "vile" indecent images had led to the "rape and torture of innocent children".

The defendant was a grade five intelligence officer in the NCA - equivalent to a police constable.

He had access to the dark web but was not required by his work to view such images as his focus was on drug and firearms offences, the court heard.

Adam Taylor was made to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years during sentencing at Southwark Crown Court

Taylor was arrested by officers from the NCA's anti-corruption unit after it was established that an IP address linked to his home was accessing illegal content.

Investigators found 221 of the most serious category A images on his work device, as well as 203 "extreme" images and hundreds more of category B and C levels.

Prosecutor Amy Nicholson said Taylor "sought to use his employment to gain further access to child sexual abuse material".

She added: "The viewing and downloading of indecent photographs of children perpetuates the production of further indecent photographs, which requires the serious sexual abuse of young children."

'Horrific sexual abuse'

In June, Taylor admitted three offences of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Catrin Attwell, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the images Taylor accessed showed "horrific sexual abuse of children".

"His actions were a gross breach of the trust placed in him as an officer and severely undermined the integrity and standards expected from those in his position," she added.

During the sentencing, Eddison Flint, mitigating, said Taylor was at a low risk of reoffending.