Ex-BBC Producer Denies Possessing Indecent Images of Children

Dylan Dawes, former BBC Wales producer, denies six counts of possessing or making indecent images of children after over 6,200 images were found on devices linked to him. He claims no knowledge of the images and says devices were left unattended at work.

Former BBC Wales Producer Denies Charges

A former BBC Wales producer, Dylan Dawes, 50, has denied six counts related to possessing or making indecent photographs of children after images were discovered on four devices registered to him.

Dawes informed police that he had

"no knowledge"

of the images but explained that the devices had previously

"been left for extended periods"

at his workplace.

Details of Images and Devices

The jury at Cardiff Crown Court was informed that over 6,200 images had been found or recovered, including 192 Category A images, which represent the most serious level of indecency.

Dawes, who is from Cardiff, acknowledged having viewed

"adult" pornography in the past

but denied any sexual interest in children.

Prosecution Case

Opening the prosecution's case, barrister Harry Baker told the jury that Dawes began his employment with the BBC in 2001.

Over an approximate period of 16 years, Baker stated,

"the defendant had been downloading child pornography onto four different distinct devices that he owned"

The devices seized by authorities included a hard drive, a compact laptop, and two iPads.

Baker added that during Dawes' initial arrest at his home, he denied possessing or creating any indecent images of children in his police interview.

Use and Access to Devices

Dawes admitted to occasionally taking one of the iPads to his workplace and mentioned that he had lent the hard drive to colleagues

"for purely work-related purposes"

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At a later stage, 483 images were found on the four devices belonging to Dawes, including seven Category A images.

Experts also recovered an additional 5,794 images identified as having been on the devices at some point, which included 185 Category A images.

Statements and Police Questioning

When questioned again by police, Dawes provided a prepared written statement asserting that he had

"no knowledge of any indecent images that were found on my devices"

He further stated that he had

"never knowingly viewed, accessed or downloaded"

child pornography, had

"no sexual interest in children"

, but admitted to having

"downloaded regular pornography"

occasionally in the past.

Dawes also informed police that

"at various stages, all the devices have been left for extended periods in open plan offices and not in my possession"

However, Dawes responded with

"no comment"

to further police questions, including inquiries about why he had previously stated that one device had not left his house and whether he could identify who used his device to download child pornography.

Charges and Timeline

Dawes faces three counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child, classified in categories A, B, and C, dated 28 February 2022—the day of his arrest and when his devices were seized.

Additionally, three other counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, spanning from 2006 to 2022, pertain to images the prosecution claims were not present on the devices at the time of arrest but were later recovered.