WIREDGOV

A youth worker who watched a live stream of a six-year-old boy being raped and urged on the attacker was jailed yesterday following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Darren Williams (pictured top), 44, of Newport, is the first to be sentenced of four men, including a primary school teacher, convicted of child sex offences in relation to the online chat room where the rape was streamed.

Eleven years

Williams was jailed for 11 years at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday (12 July 2017) for his part in the rape, which took place in July 2015.

He had pleaded guilty to a charge of encouraging or assisting the rape of a six-year-old boy and admitted six charges of encouraging or assisting the showing of indecent images of children.

During the live stream Williams sent messages to the rapist instructing him to “put the sound on” and to “prove it’s live” by “smacking” the victim and making him “say hi”.

He also sent messages telling chat room users that the rape was about to be streamed and encouraging them to join him in watching it take place.

Worked with children

Williams, who drove minibuses for children’s charities in Gwent, was arrested in December 2015 and this year admitted seven counts including encouraging or assisting the rape of a six-year-old boy.

The rapist who broadcast the attack, a Pennsylvanian named William Chandler Augusta, was detected by the Canadian authorities and arrested in the US in February this year.

He was later sentenced for a range of offences to a term of up to 30 years in jail.

His victim was identified by police officers in the US and protective measures taken.

Four convicted

The NCA investigation has seen four men plead guilty to offences relating to the chatroom.

In June primary school teacher Wayne Brookes (pictured bottom), 43, of Weston-Super-Mare, admitted four offences relating to indecent images of children on the chat room. He will be sentenced on 1 August at Bristol Crown Court.

Philip Crabtree, 35, of Newcastle-Under-Lyme, pleaded guilty to 12 offences on 27 June, and will be sentenced at Stoke Crown Court on a date to be set.

Christian Johnson Lueking, 36, of Raynes Park, London pleaded guilty to one offence of encouraging the showing of indecent images of children earlier in the month. He will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 18 August.

Vital intervention

Colin Radcliffe, operations manager at the NCA’s child exploitation and online protection (CEOP) command, said: “Darren Williams drove children to activities where they would play sport and have fun together.

“As it’s clear that he believes children can be horrifically abused for his pleasure his arrest was a vital intervention.

“These men thought they’d found a corner of the internet where they could avoid the consequences of participating in abuse.

“They were wrong and others like them should know NCA officers have skills and tools that mean no one seeking to harm children is safe from the law.

“Protecting children is an integral part of the NCA’s mission and our officers are dedicated to ensuring people like these are brought to justice.”