A PAEDOPHILE identified using the dark web was caught with thousands of pictures and videos of child sex abuse.

National Crime Agency officers identified the monikers of various users of the dark web site ‘The Camp Fire’. Using the users’ IP addresses, they were able to find out their identities. One of the users was Jordan Waddon.

Police officers searched Waddon’s home – in Pen Y Bryn in Penyrheol, Caerphilly – on the morning of October 15, 2020.

“Mr Waddon made admissions from the word go,” prosecutor Nigel Fryer said.

Thousands of child sexual abuse images were discovered across three laptops which were recovered.

Of the material found, 236 pictures and 89 videos of the most serious level of abuse – Category A – were discovered, along with more than 1,000 pictures and videos in Category B and 3,589 pictures and 17 videos in Category C.

“He understood what the dark web was. He understood what ‘The Camp Fire’ was for,” said Mr Fryer.

“He said he had been using the dark web as long ago as 2014.”

Claire Wilks, defending, said Waddon was “led astray” by other dark web users exploiting him at a young age.

“The defendant himself was initially a child victim who was exploited himself,” she said. “He was groomed.

“It’s rather a sad state of affairs.”

She added that Waddon, now 24, had not reoffended since his arrest in 2020.

Judge Neil Bidder described Waddon as living “an isolated existence”.

He sentenced Waddon to a 24-month community order, 40 days rehabilitation activity requirement, 120 hours of unpaid work, and must complete Maps for Change work.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender – both for five years.

“If you break this order, it’s prison. It’s that simple,” the judge warned Waddon.