West Yorkshire Police Cyber Officer Faces Sick Child Abuse Image Charges
Officer Accused of Downloading Shocking Baby Abuse Images
A West Yorkshire Police cyber prevention officer stands accused of downloading horrendous images depicting babies being sexually abused, a Leeds Crown Court jury was told. Jonathan Plummer, 33, also allegedly distributed child porn and possessed images showing animals being abused.
At the time, Plummer was a serving police community support officer working within a Wakefield neighbourhood policing team, with a specific role tackling cybercrime.
‘Vile Degrader’ Username Linked to Disturbing Image Trade
The court heard Plummer used the vile online alias ‘vile degrader’ to access and share illegal images. Prosecutor Louise Reevell revealed police first received intelligence connecting Plummer to child abuse images in October 2017. He was arrested and cautioned in August 2018 after a search of his Bradford Road, Wakefield home.
Electronic devices seized from Plummer’s property contained indecent images of children alongside extreme pornographic material. The illicit content was housed on a heavily encrypted app, including graphic images of babies tied up with rope and sexual abuse involving dogs. A gruesome video of a woman being mutilated with a sword was also uncovered.
Shocking Online Chats With Teen & Multilingual Search Terms
The jury learned Plummer communicated with a 16-year-old girl in Australia, exchanging images and discussing rape fantasies. Expert analysis showed Google Translate was used to search for indecent child image terms in Russian and Arabic, signalling attempts to cover his tracks.
Plummer denied all wrongdoing during police interviews, suggesting his phone was compromised. But forensic experts rejected his “technical explanation”.
Seven Serious Charges Facing Plummer
Plummer, from Langdale Avenue, Outwood, Leeds, denies seven charges, including:
- Distributing indecent images of a child (July 2017 – August 2018)
- Making indecent Category A images of a child (339 photos, 133 videos)
- Making indecent Category B images (258 photos, 25 videos)
- Making indecent Category C images (1,250 photos, 42 videos)
- Possession of prohibited child images (248 photos, 2 videos)
- Two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images
The prosecution told jurors: “We invite you to conclude that the defendant is ‘vile degrader’ – it’s not a bizarre coincidence. He likes child and extreme pornography, and he obtained and shared it.”
The grim trial is ongoing.
