Man who had hoard of sadistic child abuse images walks free from Swindon court

A man from Swindon has been sentenced for making and distributing what officers say are the most sadistic and degrading child abuse images they have ever encountered.

Matthew Ely, 39, of Howse Garden, Rodbourne, was sentenced to 28 months in prison, suspended for 30 months, at Swindon Crown Court after pleading guilty in April.
He was charged with three counts of making indecent photo/pseudo-photos of a child, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent photo/pseudo-photo of a child.
The charges involve more than a thousand images between November 2021 and February 2025. Located on Ely's mobile phone, they included both still photographs and videos.
Ely will also have to participate in a Rehabilitation Activity for a maximum of 35 days, carry out 175 hours of unpaid work and pay £156 in costs.
He is also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 Years.
Beccy Scott, an investigator with the Child Internet Exploitation Team, said:  “This was an extremely challenging case, with the images involving very young children being particularly distressing.
"In my four years in this team, they were the most sadistic and degrading I have encountered.
"I want to take this opportunity to reassure the community that none of the illegal images located, we believe, were physically taken by Ely himself.
“The forensic evidence clearly shows that Ely was actively engaging with others to trade child sexual abuse material. He is a dangerous individual, and his sentence reflects both the seriousness of his offending and the risk he poses.
“Online child abuse material is not a victimless crime. Real children all over the world are being harmed, and by people like Matthew Ely engaging in this behaviour it only serves to create a market for this content. 

"Anyone who engages in this content will face the full force of the law.”
People can find information about reporting child abuse at https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/ and there is also advice for parents and children on the Wiltshire Police website.