Encrypted Chatroom Talks Lead to 21-Year Prison Sentence

A 54-year-old Welsh man has been jailed for 21 years after discussing child sexual abuse in an encrypted messaging app.

A 54-year-old man from Port Talbot has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after a National Crime Agency investigation uncovered discussions about the sexual abuse of children through an encrypted messaging app.

Craig Henton was first arrested in April 2024 after investigators received information that a user of an encrypted messaging service was planning to sexually abuse a five-year-old girl.

Investigators traced the account to Henton’s home. Searches of his devices subsequently uncovered evidence that he had shared an indecent image of the child.

The investigation found that Henton had participated in hundreds of online conversations concerning the sexual abuse of children.

According to the NCA, conversations between February and May 2024 included discussions about targeting vulnerable families and arranging meetings with other users for the purpose of abusing children.

Henton also claimed in conversations that he had previously sexually abused a child. The NCA identified the child and took safeguarding measures.

Further searches of Henton’s devices uncovered thousands of indecent images and videos of children, including material classified by authorities as Category A.

One device contained 4,570 images and videos, including 918 Category A images. A second device seized during the investigation contained almost 1,400 additional images.

Henton was arrested separately in May and June 2024 on suspicion of offences including assaulting a girl under 13 and arranging the commission of a child sexual offence. He initially made no comment during police interviews but was subsequently charged with 18 offences.

Henton pleaded guilty to all 18 offences at Swansea Crown Court in October 2025.

He returned to the same court on September 1, 2026, where he was sentenced to 21 years in custody followed by a six-year extended licence period.

The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Henton will remain on the Sex Offender Register for life, while his victims were granted indefinite restraining orders.

The case highlights how encrypted messaging services can be used by offenders to communicate with others and discuss plans to abuse children.

The NCA said Henton had joined chat groups that were used to enable and justify the sexual abuse of children.

Danielle Pownall, an Operations Manager at the NCA, described Henton as a dangerous offender and said the agency would continue working with partners in the UK and internationally to protect children from abuse.

The case also demonstrates the importance of digital evidence in investigations involving encrypted communications. Information obtained from online conversations, combined with evidence recovered from seized devices, helped investigators identify Henton and establish the extent of his offending.

The NCA investigation ultimately led to his guilty pleas and a lengthy prison sentence.

Source: National Crime Agency (NCA)