Retired RAF man distributed ‘vilest’ child abuse images to convicted sex offender

A retired RAF serviceman and ex-supermarket security guard has been jailed for downloading the “vilest” images of children being abused and distributing them to a known sex offender.
Richard James Eckl, 70, formerly of Bryn y Mor, Holyhead but now of Manchester, was locked up for 28 months when he appeared for sentence at Caernarfon Crown Court.
He admitted three charges of downloading the images and three charges of distributing them at an earlier hearing.
Jailing him Judge Timothy Petts said the charges were so serious only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.
“These are images of child abuse. Boys aged between five and 12 years of age being abused in some of the vilest ways possible,” the judge said.
Prosecutor Ryan Rothwell told the court Eckl was a man of previous good character and his offending came to light when another man, Nicholas Charles Walker, told police he had been supplied with images.
Mr Rothwell described Walker as a “persistent sex offender” and he told officers during a regular search he had been receiving computer memory sticks containing indecent images of children from Eckl for several years.
“As a result Eckl was approached by police and he produced two memory sticks from his trousers. These contained indecent images of children and other devices were seized for examination,” said Mr Rothwell.
A total of 553 indecent images were found and these included 77 at the highest category the lawyer added. Further examination showed file deletion software had been installed to try and hide Eckl’s browsing of the internet.
During interview Eckl made full and frank admissions to police. He said Walker had introduced him to the “darkweb” and he had researched how to download images from this park of the internet.
The judge ordered Eckl’s details be held on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. The computer equipment seized will be destroyed.
Earlier this month Nicholas Walker, 49, of Maes Llewellyn, Aberffraw in Anglesey, was jailed for 12 months after admitting possessing indecent images of children.
Already serving 20 months in prison for breaching a sex offenders’ order for the third time Walker admitted three charges relating to eight indecent images of children – two were of the worst category.