A 25-year-old man from Eastbourne has admitted a series of child sex offences after acting as an administrator for multiple online groups dedicated to sharing and distributing child sexual abuse material, including on the encrypted messaging app Telegram and on dark web platforms.
The case followed an intensive investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into online networks used to exchange illegal images and videos of children. Officers discovered that the defendant played a central role in running at least two groups, known as Sugar Heaven and Naughty Room 3.0, where thousands of images and extremely serious material involving children under 12 were shared among members.
At Lewes Crown Court, the man—identified in court records as Joao Carlos Jardim dos Santos Teixeira—pleaded guilty to 12 charges related to child sexual abuse offences. These included possession of more than 13,000 prohibited images of children, many of the most serious category; distribution of indecent images of children between May 2023 and February 2024; facilitating the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old boy; and participating in an organised crime group by administering illicit online networks. Prosecutors told the court that the groups were structured with appointed administrators—positions Teixeira assumed after being “voted” into the roles by other members—which gave him responsibility for managing and concealing the abusive online activity.
In mitigation, Teixeira’s defence indicated he planned to report a man he claimed had abused him as a child, though the judge expressed scepticism about this argument and said it would not reduce his responsibility for the offences. The judge advised that he would receive a substantial prison sentence, with the exact term to be determined at sentencing in February.
Experts and law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned that encrypted messaging apps like Telegram and dark web forums are being exploited by those trading in child sexual abuse material because of their perceived privacy and anonymity. These platforms have been linked to numerous investigations across the UK and internationally, as authorities work to identify and dismantle networks that facilitate the exploitation and abuse of children.
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