A councillor has gone on trial charged with making and distributing indecent images of children.
Matthew Sephton, 41, was charged with six offences last month.
He is a primary school teacher and also represented Altrincham for the Conservatives on Trafford council.
He was suspended by the party after being detained by the National Crime Agency (NCA) - and suspended from his teaching position at Westmorland Primary School in Brinnington, Stockport.
Coun Sephton is charged with making 843 category A indecent images of children between November 6 and December 1; making 722 category B indecent images of children during the same period; making 2,111 category C indecent images of children; possession of six indecent images on an iPhone with a view to distribute;
possession of 106 indecent images of a child; and possession of extreme pornography.
NCA 'found three devices'
Mr Edwards said: “There were not one but three devices belonging to this defendant in his home using accounts registered in name on many applications.” An officer from the National Crime Agency, Karl Winrow, will continue giving evidence after a short break.
Google image searches for 'naked teen boy 13'
“There were not one but three devices belonging to this defendant in his home,” adds Mr Edwards.
Officers from the NCA carried out a forensic search on these devices.
One of the Google Image searches found on the computer internet history included “boy nude”, “naked teen boy” and “naked teen boy 13,” the court heard.
Conversations about the sharing of indecent images of children
Another application called Telegram was found on Sephton’s devices in which there were a number of conversations and groups.
Within these groups, there were conversations about the sharing of indecent images of children.
“There was a group title that was immediately indicative of indecent images of children,” adds Mr Edwards.
Whats App conversations
Mr Edwards informs the jury.
“In addition to those images recovered, Facebook Messenger and Whats App conversations were recovered between the defendant and another man.”
Mr Edwards adds: “Those conversations quite clearly relate to a sexual interest in underage children, specifically boys.”
NCA officers retrieved 31 indecent videos of children and 3774 ‘disturbing images of children’
Mr Edwards is outlining the charges the defendant faces today.
They all relate to images that are either ‘indecent in nature of children’ or indecent pornography. On December 1, 2016 officers from the National Crime Agency searched Sephton’s home in Maximus Drive, Altrincham.
Two iPhones and an Apple Mac computer were seized from the property.
Sephton was arrested.
NCA officers retrieved 31 indecent videos of children and 3774 ‘disturbing images of children’ from the two phones and computer.
Trial due to begin
The trial of Matthew Sephton is about to begin at Minshull Street Crown Court.The defendant is in the dock and the jury have been sworn in and seated.
Prosecutor Huw Edwards is due to open the trial shortly.
