Isle of Wight businessman paid £5,511 to live-stream child sex abuse from the Philippines

Peter Tomlinson, 63, pleaded guilty to 20 charges relating to child sexual abuse and was sentenced at Newport Crown Court today.

The businessman, who lived on Baring Road, Cowes, had paid £5,511 to live-stream child sexual abuse from the Philippines from 2015 to 2017.

Across thousands of messages with a female facilitator, Tomlinson repeatedly asked for ‘harder’ abuse footage, sometimes complaining about prices and being disturbed while working.

In January 2018, Tomlinson paid £22 to view a live show he had requested involving a five-year-old child.

When arrested at his home in October 2019, he told police officers: ‘The thing you’re looking for is on my computer...it is my escape from reality – that is all it is.’

His electronic devices contained 47 images that were deemed to be of the most sever category A type, as well as 148 in category B, 353 in category C, and 46 extreme images.

During interview with National Crime Agency ( NCA) officers he admitted arranging, directing and paying for live streamed child sexual abuse and possessing indecent images of children.

Tomlinson was responsible for ‘the most heinous abuse of children’, according to NCA operations manager Phil Eccles.

SEE ALSO: Government’s ‘embarrassing’ proposed pay rise for nurses a ‘kick in the teeth’, say Portsmouth NHS staff and trade union

He said: ‘Peter Tomlinson believed he could carry out his sickening offences from the comfort of his own home and get away with it.’

‘Live-streaming sex crimes exploits the vulnerable; he was helped in this case by facilitators whose motive is to make money.

‘Live-streaming is a key threat to the UK, and one of the main forms of financially-driven offending, for which the Philippines remains a key hub.

‘The NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes.

‘Anyone like Tomlinson should know that the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes.’

Anyone concerned an individual is committing child sexual abuse or is at risk of committing abuse can contact the Stop It Now helpline on 0808 1000 900.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as fewer adverts, access to our digital edition and mobile app.

Our trial offer starts at just £2 a month for the first two months.