GILWERN paedophile Matthew Jackson has evaded jail for a second time after being caught with child abuse images.

The 21-year-old of Kennelwood, Gilwern was given a 36-month sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in April 2022 for distributing an indecent image of a child and three counts of possession of an indecent image of a child.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court last Thursday heard how the defendant’s offender manager made an unannounced visit to his home on July 25, 2023, and asked to look at Jackson’s phone.

Jackson confessed that he had used it to view child abuse material. On further examination, a total of four Category A images, one Category B image, one Category C image, and 32 “indicative” images were discovered.

Prosecutor Christopher Evans told the court that one image showed a girl of eight or ten being “orally penetrated” by an adult male.

The images were hidden by a password on an app that presented itself as a calculator and left no internet history record.

Jackson pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of breaching a SHPO.

The court heard that during his interview with probation, Jackson made “flippant comments” about his crimes and said, “It’s only going to be a suspended sentence.”

Julia Cox representing Jackson said the client was “nervous” during the interview but he had been honest and open with the offender manager.

She said he had been unable to carry our rehabilitation activity through the Horizon sex offender programme, and asked the sentence be suspended so he could receive the necessary help that would be denied him if sent to prison.

Jackson was described as a “bright young man with potential.”

Judge Paul Hopkins KC said, “There was an element of sophistication in regard to concealing the images in this case.

“There was also the disobedience of a court order.”

However, because of the “prospect of rehabilitation,” Jackson was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months. He was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and to pay court costs of £250.