Police acted on intelligence to rumble West Midlands man Durai Raj
A West Midlands man who was found with more than 170,000 indecent images and video files of children has been jailed for his “abhorrent” crimes. Durai Raj (pictured) was sentenced to 30 months in jail at Warwick Crown Court on April 16(Image: Warwickshire Police)
A West Midlands man who was found with more than 170,000 indecent images and video files of children has been jailed for his “abhorrent” crimes.
Warwickshire Police raided the home of Durai Raj in Ash Green in Coventry back in May 2024 were sent intelligence suggesting Raj had uploaded indecent images of children to the internet.
At first the 34-year-old lied to officers, initially claiming he had accessed thousands of indecent images of children over an eight-month period.
READ MORE: Man found with ‘multiple serious injuries’ after stabbing near Birmingham park – full statements
Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp
Yet forensic digital analysis found that ‘depraved’ Raj had actually been accessing them over a period of nine years.
He was jailed at Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday April 16 to 30 months in jail after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, said police.
A Warwickshire Police spokesperson said on April 24: “Back in May 2024, officers from our Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET) acted on intelligence suggesting Durai Raj had uploaded indecent images of children to the internet.
“A search of his home address resulted in seven devices being seized – two of which were found to contain more than 170,000 images and video files.
“Despite the 34-year-old initially claiming he had accessed them over an eight-month period, digital analysis showed it had actually been over a period of nine years.
A West Midlands man who was found with more than 170,000 indecent images and video files of children has been jailed for his “abhorrent” crimes. Durai Raj (pictured) was sentenced to 30 months in jail at Warwick Crown Court on April 16(Image: Warwickshire Police)
“Officers also discovered the files, which had been categorised into ages and genres and involved several different victims, had been shared with other people online.”
Raj, of Corley View, Ash Green, was arrested and later charged with:
- three counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child
- two counts of distributing an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child
The force spokesperson added: “After pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, he appeared at Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday (16 April) where he was sentenced to 30 months in jail.
“He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for ten years and made to surrender all his devices.”
Following sentencing, detective constable Longmuir, from Warwickshire Police’s OCSET team, said: “Raj is a sexual offender who poses a significant risk to children.
“The material he possessed and shared can only be described as abhorrent – depicting the most serious sexual offences against children of all ages.
“The distribution, possession and downloading of indecent images is depraved and anyone who does it should expect to be prosecuted.
“Our team of specialist officers is dedicated to targeting those who use the perceived anonymity of the internet to cause serious harm to children.
“We will continue to pursue and identify those who are sharing material online of children, which is completely unacceptable, and I hope his conviction shows how we will leave no stone unturned when it comes to bringing offenders to justice.”