A WIVELISCOMBE man has received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to the production of more than 110,000 indecent images of children.

Adam Dodden, aged 40, of Plain Pond, Wiveliscombe has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to three offences at Taunton Crown Court (sitting at North Somerset Courthouse) on Friday (March 7).

The offences include the creation of more than 110,000 indecent images of children, the possession of an extreme pornographic image, and the possession of prohibited images of children.

Last year Avon and Somerset Police received information that indecent images of children were being accessed and downloaded from within an address in Wiveliscombe. The Internet Child Abuse Team executed a search warrant on 9 September and Dodden was arrested.

He was interviewed the same day, where he admitted responsibility and expressed disgust at what he had done.

After his arrest in September 2024, Dodden attended a trial at Taunton Magistrates’ Court on January 6 where he pleaded guilty to committing five offences between December 2010 and September 2024.

One of the offences included the possession and creation of more than 100,000 indecent images of children. He was also in possession of three “extreme pornographic images” involving an animal, and 97 prohibited images of a child.

A detailed examination of the 40-year-old’s devices found since 2010 he had established a collection of 1,343 category A images, which are the most serious, 1,116 category B images and 108,036 category C images.

The offender was ordered not to have any unsupervised contact with children under 18 years old, and was barred from living or sleeping in the same house as anyone under 18. Dodden was released on conditional bail and the case was sent to Taunton Crown Court for sentencing on March 7.

Avon and Somerset Police say that they are not aware that Dodden ever came into contact with the children, with all his offences relating to online activity.

As part of the sentence, Dodden was also issued with a 45 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He is now also subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, a sex offender notification for 10 years and is barred from working with children indefinitely.

He was also ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £100 victim surcharge.

Investigating officer for Avon and Somerset Police, Detective Constable Benn Murphy, said: “Accessing or downloading indecent imagery of children is not a victimless crime; perpetrators often don’t stop to think about the lives of young children destroyed by the abuse that takes place behind it.

“These images depict the worst possible forms of child abuse and those perpetrators who access them create a market for further images to be produced.

“People accessing indecent images, or with an interest in doing, should stop and seek help, which is available from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which operates a helpline service on 0808 1000 900.”