MasterChef: Caerwyn Ash jailed for child abuse images
- Published
Caerwyn Ash reached the quarter-finals of MasterChef in 2016
A MasterChef contestant has been jailed for possessing child abuse images and then blackmailing police officers when he was caught.
Caerwyn Ash, 41, from Swansea, threatened to publish images of police officers engaging in sexual acts unless the case against him was dropped.
Ash was found guilty of possessing 20 indecent images and five videos.
He was also found guilty of possessing extreme pornography and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Cardiff Crown Court heard Ash went to Swansea Central Police Station the day before he was due to appear at the city's magistrates' court.
He took a letter addressed to the "Head of CID" calling for the charges to be dropped or he would "create an earthquake" by publishing material of South Wales Police officers engaged in sexual acts via a "trusted friend in the Press Association".
Prosecutor James Wilson said out of the 20 indecent images, 11 were of the most serious in category A.
Five videos of category A child abuse and videos of extreme pornography were also found on a hard drive at Ash's partner's home in Morriston, Swansea, in April 2019.
Ash denied the charges and said he "would never look at such an image" and if he saw such an image, he would "report it immediately to the police".
He described his life as "destroyed" and said he has lost two homes since his arrest.
Caerwyn Ash reached the quarter-finals of MasterChef in 2016
Judge Wayne Beard said: "You have consistently denied any wrongdoing and I must sentence you on the jury's verdict.
"In the light of that and you not accepting the jury's verdict there is no prospect of rehabilitation. The images and videos speak for themselves because of their serious categories.
"Your possession of extreme pornography shows a level of obsession in sexual matters."
The judge described Ash's "deliberate attempt to stop the prosecution" against him by blackmailing police officers as "a manipulative and cynical move".
The judge sentenced Ash to a total of three years in prison - two years for perverting the course of justice and one year for possessing and downloading indecent images.
- Published16 May 2023
