Man convicted of sexual assault after posting child sexual abuse online

A recent statement from the National Crime Agency confirmed that a man from Exeter had been convicted of sexually assaulting a girl aged under 13 and making and distributing videos of the sexual assaults online. 

The law enforcement agency in Australia notified the UK authorities that a video of the abuse had been posted online and that they believed that the abuser was a UK national.   

The man, Woody Spencer, had attempted to conceal his identity in the video but experts from the National Crime Agency who are responsible for investigating offences related to child sexual exploitation and abuse were able to identify both him and his home address. 

He was arrested on 4 March 2024 and the authorities found 163 indecent images of children on his mobile telephone.

Spencer was found guilty of a number of offences relating to the sexual assault of the young girl and of making and distributing indecent images of children. 

The police also found a covert recording of an 18 year old women in the shower. He admitted an offence of voyeurism in relation to that.    

The ability of foreign agencies and the National Crime Agency to work together to catch this man is encouraging but also illustrates how images are easily shared. 

There have been other high-profile cases this year relating to the sharing child sex abuse imagery. 

In July, the former BBC news presenter admitted to having 41 indecent images of children which had been sent to him on WhatsApp by another man who was confirmed to be a convicted paedophile. The images included 7 category A images 2 of which were of a child thought to be aged between 7 and 9. He pleaded guilty to 3 counts of making indecent images of children. 

In October, Hugh Nelson was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to 16 charges relating to child sexual abuse offences. He used AI technology to alter images of real children which were sent to him by other people to create child sexual abuse images. These images were then sold by him. In some cases, he then encouraged his “clients” to sexually assault the children. 

It is recognised that the child sex abuse imagery is a crisis for modern society and that the impact on the child can be lifelong.     

The National Crime Agency Director told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse that the tech companies who run the platforms that host and facilitate these images needed to match the actions of law enforcement agencies.  

On the basis of these recent cases there is still a long way to go to prevent these offences.

At Jordans Solicitors, we are currently dealing with a number of claims relating to child sex abuse images and voyeurism.    

Compensation is a small step towards taking control of your life and getting the justice you deserve.

We understand how difficult it can be for you to talk about the abuse you suffered during your childhood. That’s why our specially trained child abuse solicitors work closely alongside psychologists and barristers to support you both emotionally and legally.

Justice for child abuse survivors should be accessible no matter how long ago it happened. That’s why we fought for a landmark change in the law, which allows an abuse claim to be brought before a court regardless of when it took place.

If you want to discuss the options that are open to you, please contact our specialist Abuse Team at Jordans Solicitors