Paedophile Craig Crowther Jailed Over Sickening Child Abuse
Craig Crowther, 31, has been locked up for over four years after being exposed as a vile child abuser by the National Crime Agency (NCA). Using the alias ‘craggy2014,’ Crowther chatted online with other paedophiles, openly discussing his sexual interest in children and bragging about abusing a child he had access to.
Shocking Online Confessions and Evidence
- In May 2020, Crowther admitted to another user that he liked to “get involved” with children and shared four indecent images (IIOC) of a child, including highly explicit material.
- He even sent photos of children’s underwear to prove access to the victim.
- Bragging further, Crowther claimed he had taken a sexually explicit photo of a sleeping child he had assaulted and plotted to continue the abuse.
- He admitted to filming the abuse but deleting the footage, knowing it was wrong.
Arrest, Charges, and Guilty Plea
When NCA officers arrested Crowther in July 2020, he made chilling comments such as, “My life is over” and “I got no sexual gratification from it.” Investigators seized 56 indecent images across categories A to C from his phone, including 35 he had taken himself. Among these were images showing him sexually assaulting the child – believed to be screenshots from the deleted video.
Crowther faced multiple charges, including:
- Three counts of assault of a child under 13 by touching
- Three counts of making indecent images of children (categories A-C)
- Two counts of taking indecent images (categories B and C)
- Two counts of distributing category C indecent images
He pleaded guilty to all charges at Chester Magistrates’ Court on 11 February and was sentenced to four years and four months today at Chester Crown Court.
Lifetime Punishment and Protection Orders
On release, Crowther will remain on licence for four years, be subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and stay on the sex offenders register for life. NCA investigations manager Hazel Stewart slammed Crowther’s actions as “despicable” and praised the agency’s role in safeguarding children.
“Craig Crowther’s crimes were despicable and our intervention helped safeguard children. He was prepared to share explicit images of his victim to like-minded individuals online, bragging about his abuse to gain their respect. His actions were callous beyond belief and by his own admission, he knew exactly what he was doing,” said Stewart.
“The NCA works to protect those affected by child sexual abuse and disrupt offenders who pose a sexual threat to children, ensuring they face justice.”
