Sex offender caught after intelligence-led police investigation

A sex offender, who was found with thousands of indecent images of children, also secretly filmed women without them knowing.

Christopher Wilson was arrested in March last year after police received intelligence suggesting he possessed indecent images of children.

Following his arrest, specialist officers from Durham Constabulary’s Digital Intelligence and Investigation Unit examined his phone and other devices that had been seized from his Darlington home.

On them, they found 3,172 indecent images of children, of which 371 were classed as category A images or videos – the most serious. There were also 1,173 category B images and videos, and 1,628 category C images, as well as two prohibited images.

While examining the devices, officers also found several videos of Wilson having sex with women that had been filmed on a hidden spy camera in his home between 2019 and 2024.

Investigators tracked down the women, who confirmed they had no knowledge that they were being filmed and had not consented to it.

The 33-year-old, from Darlington, was charged with numerous counts of voyeurism, as well as possessing indecent images of children and making indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday (October 26) where he was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.

He was also ordered to completed 200 hours of unpaid work, was handed a Sexual Harm Order, restraining orders preventing him from contacting the women, and placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Detective Constable Laura Fairhurst, from South CID, said: “Wilson carried out sustained and deeply invasive offending, abusing everyday technology to violate the privacy of his victims for his own sexual gratification.  

“Wilson betrayed the trust of these women at a time when they should have felt safe – in doing so, he has shattered their lives and destroyed their confidence.

“I’d like to praise them for their courage in coming forward and supporting the police investigation, which has enabled us to bring a dangerous offender to justice. I hope the conclusion of this case allows them to rebuild their lives and move forward.

“Wilson poses not just a risk to women, but children too. The examination of his digital devices found he was in possession of thousands of still and moving images involving the sexual abuse of young children.

“This type of offending not only affects those children involved, but their families and wider communities too. That is why as a force we will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt this type of criminal activity, protect our communities, and put offenders before the courts.”