Digi-sniffing police dog unearthed Wakefield paedophile's stash of illegal devices
Computer-programming pervert avoid custody, despite being repeat offender
A police dog trained to sniff out electronic devices helped catch a devious paedophile who had a stash hidden around his home.
The pervert-hunting pooch found a mass of phones, laptops, USB sticks, SIM cards and SD cards belonging to sneaky Joe Conway.
The 40-year-old was previously convicted for possessing child-abuse images in 2021, and as a result was given a community order and subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to allow officers to monitor his internet devices on request.
He must also register any new devices with the police.
Leeds Crown Court heard that in February 2024 the officers visited his home and asked to check his devices, so he handed over a computer and a phone.
He was then warned that they had a dog with them that was trained to track down electronic gadgets. The stash was then uncovered.
Just months before that they had also found a deleted image on his phone - a 17-second sex video depicting a girl of around 13-year-old.
Conway, of Templar Street, in the Agbrigg area of Wakefield, admitted breaching his SHPO and possessing an indecent image of a child, but only on the day he was due to stand trial.
Mitigating, Shila Whitehead said Conway works in computers and prepares gaming programmes.
She said he had an interest in pornographic sites that had “over spilled”.
She added: “It’s something he needs to address.”
The judge, Recorder Simon Kealey KC gave him a two-year sentence, suspended for two years, with 20 rehabilitation days and 150 hours of unpaid work.
He was given a new 10-year SHPO and put on the sex offender register again for 10 years.