Specialist detection dog also found an SD card containing hundreds of indecent images of children
A CONVICTED sex offender hid an unregistered laptop beneath a kitchen counter while continuing to access indecent images of children in breach of a court order.
Joey Morgan, 53, of Ithon Road, Llandrindod Wells, pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and one count of theft when he appeared before Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, July 11.
Morgan has been subject to indefinite notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order since he was convicted of making indecent images of children in 2019.
He was convicted again in 2021 of possessing indecent images and breaching court-imposed restrictions while living in the Gwent area.
On Monday, July 6, plain-clothes officers saw Morgan using a black Acer laptop in a public area of a hotel in Llandrindod Wells.
The device had not been registered with police.
Under the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, Morgan was prohibited from owning a device capable of accessing the internet or storing data unless he notified police within three days of obtaining it.
When the laptop remained unregistered on Thursday, July 9, Morgan was arrested in Llandrindod Wells on suspicion of breaching the order.
Following his arrest, search officers and detectives attended his home with a specialist digital detection dog from South Wales Police.
The dog located the Acer laptop hidden beneath the kitchen counter behind a removable wooden plinth.
Officers also discovered an SD card concealed beneath the hallway carpet and a handheld games console hidden at the back of a mailbox in the communal area of the property.
None of the devices had been registered with police.
Digital forensic examinations revealed that the SD card contained hundreds of indecent images of children, including material classified as Category B and Category C.
Morgan also admitted during a police interview that he had stolen the games console.
He was subsequently charged with two breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, two counts of making indecent images of children and one count of theft. He admitted all five offences.
Morgan was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on Friday, August 7, for sentencing.
Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting, of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Offender Management Unit, said: “There is no doubt that Joey Morgan is a dangerous individual who does not abide by the orders issued by the court and the requirements placed on him.
“I am grateful to the team of specialist units that worked together to bring Morgan back before the courts to sentence him for his offending. We await the result.”
