In 2026, Paul Davies Abingdon, then 64, of Sea View Street, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for the possession and creation of over 750 illegal images. On Wednesday, 18 February 2026, Abingdon appeared at Grimsby Crown Court for sentencing. The court reported that the defendant was found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of children following a three-day trial that concluded on Monday, 16 February 2026.
The investigation established that the offences came to light after the Humberside Police Online Investigation Team received intelligence regarding the uploading of indecent media from Abingdon’s internet connection. Following his arrest in June 2022, officers seized three laptops, two mobile phones, and several SD cards from his property on Sea View Street. Humberside Police reported that a forensic examination of these devices uncovered over 750 illegal images, a significant portion of which depicted the abuse of children.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that the forensic examination provided clear evidence of the defendant’s involvement in the production and storage of illicit material. Grimsby Crown Court heard that the “intelligence-led” operation successfully mapped the digital footprint back to Abingdon’s home address. The prosecution reported that the volume of images and the nature of the content necessitated an immediate custodial sentence to reflect the harm caused to the victims depicted.
The judge noted that Abingdon’s actions in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, required long-term monitoring to prevent future offending. For his actions, he was handed a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in addition to his prison term. The judge noted that the discovery of the material on multiple storage mediums, including SD cards, indicated a deliberate attempt to maintain a substantial collection of illegal content.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Paul Davies Abingdon was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Eighteen months in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated indefinitely.
- SHPO: A ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court following a conviction at trial.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Abingdon is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Humberside Police and the prison estate. Due to the “large scale” of the digital offending in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Abingdon must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Sea View Street, Cleethorpes, for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his ten-year SHPO includes strict prohibitions on his use of the internet and digital storage devices. Any breach of his registration conditions, his SHPO, or his licence terms upon release will result in immediate arrest and a return to Grimsby Crown Court.
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