A teaching assistant who filmed and photographed himself sexually assaulting a baby before sharing the despicable footage online with other pedophiles has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Tommy Allington, 25, subjected the child to an ongoing campaign of sexual abuse, which saw the child assaulted and raped, Swansea Crown Court heard.
The horrific ordeal only came to light after police received information about indecent images posted on Instagram and found his secret phone hidden in the attic of his home.
Allington had downloaded more than 1,500 images of children being sexually assaulted. He also had his own videos and photos taken of his gruesome campaign, helping detectives identify the little boy who was harmed.
Investigators found he had uploaded photos of him abusing his young victim online, “bragging” about his action to like-minded people.
Tommy Allington, 25, subjected the child to a sustained campaign of sexual abuse, which saw the child assaulted and raped, Swansea Crown Court heard
The horrific ordeal only came to light after police received information about indecent images posted on Instagram and found his secret phone hidden in the attic of his home. Pictured: Swansea Crown Court
He had shared the photos on the messaging app Telegram with fellow pedophiles and discussed the sexual abuse under the username AngelBoy.
In some of the disturbing conversations, Allington and his contacts discussed the benefits of abusing children when they are still babies because they are unable to speak or tell anyone about what happened to them.
Detectives identified the boy and contacted his parents. The mother identified her son as the child in the photos and videos.
The judge gave Allington an extended sentence as a dangerous offender because she was concerned about the risk he posed to children and would continue to do so once she was released from prison.
Prosecutor Robin Rouch said police searched Allington’s home in the Penlan area of Swansea in April.
The search warrant came after the indecent images uploaded were linked to the suspect.
During the initial search, a number of devices were seized and examined, but nothing was found on them.
Only when the attic of the property was searched did officers discover another mobile.
The prosecution said that once the defendant realized the phone had been found in the attic, his behavior changed and he became “nervous”.
Of the more than 1,500 indecent images exposed, 252 are classified as category A, depicting the most extreme forms of child abuse.
Poignant statements from the youngster’s parents were read to the court, detailing the devastating impact Allington’s abuse had caused.
They expressed concern about the long-term consequences for their son.
The father said that he no longer trusts anyone and that his son sometimes seems to go into a ‘trance’.
The child’s mother said her world had “fallen apart” and the family was devastated by Allington.
Allington, of Heol Cadifor, Penlan, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges of child rape, sexual assault, inducing a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of children, distribution of indecent images of children and possessing indecent images of children. banned images when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
His offenses are not related to his work in schools.
He had no previous convictions.
Stuart John, defending Allington, said there was little he could say to mitigate against the facts of the offense, but said the defendant’s guilty plea would have meant no trial would have been necessary.
He said the defendant had made “concerning disclosures” to the report’s author, but said it was hoped that if Allington was willing to be open about his motivations, he would also be open to addressing those issues .
The lawyer said it was accepted that imprisonment for many years was the only appropriate punishment, noting that the facts carry a ‘level of approval’ that will remain with him (the accused) for the rest of his life. to live’.
Judge Catherine Richards told Allington that she believed he had targeted a young and vulnerable victim, that he could not physically resist him, nor could he tell anyone what was going on.
She said it was impossible to know the full impact of his actions on the child, but she noted that the abuse occurred at a critical time in the child’s development.
The judge said she was concerned about the risks Allington posed to children and – given his age – the risks he would pose after being released from custody.
The judge decided that given everything she had read and heard about the rapist, she was confident that he was a dangerous offender and that an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public.
Allington was subject to an extended prison sentence of 24 years and eight months, consisting of 18 years and eight months in jail, followed by an extended six-year license period.
He must serve two-thirds of his sentence before he can apply for release, but it is up to the Parole Board to determine if it is safe to release him.
The suspect will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order has been issued.
Speaking after the sentencing, South Wales Police Detective Amanda Jenkins told the officer investigating the case: ‘These types of offenses will always be shocking and distressing, especially if that person is in a position of trust.
“This will undoubtedly be difficult news for the local community, but rest assured that our teams and partners have protected and supported all those involved in the investigation.
“The victim’s family has shown incredible strength and courage throughout this case.”