Former BBC Producer Refutes Charges of Child Indecent Image Possession
Dylan Dawes, 50, a former BBC Wales producer, denies six counts of possessing or making indecent photographs of children. The images were discovered on four devices linked to him.
The defendant told police he had “no knowledge” of the images. He said some devices had been left at his workplace for extended periods.
The coverage of the matter has used phrases such as Former BBC Producer Refutes Charges of Child Indecent Image Possession in reports.
Devices and digital evidence
Prosecutors said four items were seized from Dawes. They included a hard drive, a compact laptop and two iPads.
At the time of arrest, experts found 483 images on the devices. Seven of those were classified as Category A.
Further analysis recovered 5,794 images that had previously been on the devices. That group included 185 Category A images.
The totals given to the jury were more than 6,200 images. The prosecution said 192 of those were Category A.
Allegations over a number of years
Prosecutors say the offending spans a long period. They opened their case by saying Dawes began working at the BBC in 2001.
They told the jury that, over about 16 years, child pornography had been downloaded onto four devices he owned. The prosecution barrister in the opening was Harry Baker.
Dawes faces three counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child, covering categories A, B and C. Those counts are dated 28 February 2022, the day of his arrest and seizure.
Three further counts allege making indecent images between 2006 and 2022. The prosecution says those images were not present on the devices at the time of arrest but were later recovered.
Statements to police
In his first police interview, Dawes denied possessing or creating any indecent images of children. He later provided a prepared written statement repeating that claim.
He told officers he had never knowingly viewed or downloaded child pornography. He also said he had no sexual interest in children.
Dawes admitted he had sometimes viewed adult pornography. He told police he had occasionally lent the hard drive to colleagues for work reasons.
He said devices had been left in open-plan offices and were not always in his possession. He later answered “no comment” to further questioning.
The “no comment” responses included questions about why he had earlier said one device had not left his home. Officers also asked who might have used his devices.
Employer response and next steps
The BBC confirmed Dawes was no longer employed and declined to comment on an ongoing case. The trial continues at Cardiff Crown Court.
Filmogaz.com will monitor developments and provide updates as the proceedings continue.
