‘Evil’ child rapist jailed for life after being unmasked by new technology

A prolific and “evil” baby rapist has been jailed for daily life right after remaining unmasked applying new technology formulated in the United kingdom that unpixelated an graphic of his face located in pictures he experienced taken of himself abusing his victims.

Martyn Armstrong, from Pembrokeshire, documented himself committing “depraved” acts towards a few youngsters, including a target as younger as one, in excess of a number of a long time and posted the images to the dim web.

The 50-calendar year-old was arrested in July last yr following officers formulated the by no means ahead of applied device.

He pleaded responsible to a full of 41 counts of rape of a boy or girl underneath the age of 13 and sexual assault similar to two victims, and to earning, distributing and possessing indecent photographs of children in relation to them each and a 3rd target.

Roger Griffiths, prosecuting, explained to Cardiff Crown Court docket Armstrong had taken the images of him abusing small children involving 2005 and 2007, and between December 16, 2009, and February 6, 2011, and had admitted to taking photographs of a third boy or girl on a beach in 2010.

Armstrong had posted on line a series of 200 exceptionally graphic images and a online video under the file name ‘Father Jones’ which exhibits him repeatedly raping his youngest target.

The series has been acknowledged to crime businesses across the entire world because 2013 thanks to the file currently being shared and downloaded across 18 international locations, not like the United kingdom, in just South America, Australia and Europe.

The folder was continue to being shared in the British isles in early 2022 across six web sites, and experienced been identified by police forces in 583 forensic submissions.

Mr Griffiths mentioned Armstrong had made use of photoshop to location a zig-zag distortion across his image, but built no try to disguise the identities of his victims.

Thanks to his confront currently being blurred, investigators ended up not able to detect the paedophile for virtually a decade, in spite of tries by regulation enforcement associates from Australia, Italy and France, with an officer from the latter place determining the precise beach location in Wales which experienced featured in some of the visuals.

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Mr Griffiths said: “One image showcased the offenders face with a zig zag distortion.

“As a consequence in July 2022 and the National Criminal offense Agency officers using their new resource they had been in a position to unpixelate the graphic of the defendant in that sequence.”

The program was made by NCA officers in the Uk and is the very first of its sort to be designed in the entire world.

It is envisioned the programme will support upcoming perpetrators to be identified.

From the undistorted graphic, the officers were being in a position to detect Armstrong’s Fb profile foremost to his arrest.

Officers seized a amount of his devices and found out a disturbing cache of visuals including 789 group A, 989 classification B and 2227 group C.

Mr Griffiths reported: “Mr Armstrong was tracked down and questioned if he was responsible of the offences and he answered ‘to some of them yes’.

Armstrong admitted to distributing pics and to naming the Father Jones sequence, expressing he had also taken pictures of one particular of his victims on a seaside, telling officers: “I often have a digital camera with me.”

Adam Sharp, defending, reported: “Mr Armstrong does not want me to check out to mitigate the depravity of his actions or the affect they experienced on his victims.”

Mr Sharp explained his customer has taken full responsibility for his actions, but asked the judge to consider into account how he cooperated with officers and had led them to recognize other victims.

In a victim effects statement read through to the court docket, 1 of his victims mentioned: “The next I observed the piece of paper (with the photographs), it felt like I could not breathe.

“I noticed my smiley, youthful self total of contentment, confidence and innocence.

“I am no lengthier equipped to seem at these photographs without a rush of panic and heartache.

“I come to feel betrayed, manipulated and deceived.”

Addressing Armstrong, they reported: “You abused me, manipulated me and have forever darkened a piece of my childhood.

“When I believe about the sort of particular person who could dedicate this kind of horrific crimes, I sense like only a monster could ever be liable. In no way did I think that all alongside, the only monster was you.”

Sentencing Armstrong to a lifestyle imprisonment with a bare minimum expression of 14 years, Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “In these courts we deal with the most major sexual offences but the mother nature and depravity of your offending is stunning.

“No doubt you assumed the precautions you took to cover your id would safeguard you from being determined.

“Thanks to the excellent operate of officers from the Countrywide Crime Company and other regulation enforcement agencies across the environment you ended up apprehended.”

The decide mentioned probation officers experienced categorised Armstrong as large-hazard and located he experienced an “obsession with the sexual abuse of children and babies”.

“You dispersed photographs of kids for the sexual gratification of other paedophiles,” she added.

“That will carry on for the rest of their lives for the reason that these photographs can’t be recalled.”

Armstrong was also produced the subject matter of a 25-calendar year sexual harm prevention purchase, together with restraining order in relation to the a few victims.

Donning a navy blue fleece and blue polo shirt, he showed no emotion as he was taken down.

Martin Ludlow from the NCA mentioned: “It is above 17 yrs considering the fact that Armstrong commenced to abuse these younger little ones. I really do not believe that he believed he would ever be caught and that the distortion tactics he utilised would defend him.

“However, the NCA and our global companions were being decided to guarantee his evil steps did not go unpunished.

“Our determination to determining him was unwavering and ultimately, NCA officers made a absolutely new programme which led to his unmasking.

“We will keep on to operate with each other and do all we can to convey offenders like Armstrong to justice and safeguard harmless kids from little one sexual abuse.”