SWINDON, England – Brett Saunders, a 50-year-old man from Swindon, England, has pleaded guilty to being a “global moderator” on a site on the dark web that hosted “horrific videos, images and discussions” on child abuse, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). The NCA reported that Saunders uploaded a total of 115 images and videos of abuse to the site, with a further 65,000 files relating to indecent images of children recovered from his devices. The hidden site had more than 2,000 members, and Saunders was identified as a moderator with the username “Wetty”, enforcing the site’s rules and providing advice, including on how to evade law enforcement detection.
When NCA officers arrested Saunders at his home in Freshbrook in August 2022, a number of his devices were seized, and the website was open on his laptop with Saunders logged into his account. Saunders, who had previous convictions relating to the sexual exploitation of children, confirmed he held the rank of global moderator and had uploaded indecent images of children to the site during his interview with authorities.
Following his arrest, Wiltshire Police charged Saunders with breaching the sexual harm prevention order, for when he was released from prison for his previous offending. He was later jailed for two years and eight months for the breach, and in 2023, he was charged with a further nine counts, including arranging/facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, participating in the criminal activities of an organized crime group, distributing and making indecent images of children in categories A-C, and possessing a prohibited image of a child. At Swindon Magistrates Court, he pleaded guilty to all nine counts and is set to be sentenced on 5 March.
Adam Priestley, NCA branch commander, condemned Saunders’ actions, stating: “Brett Saunders was directly responsible for facilitating the sexual abuse of children. He became part of a global community of pedophiles to further his own sexual interest in children, and his dedication to this platform was such that he was appointed as a moderator. It was clear he took this role extremely seriously, investing a significant amount of time to keeping the site up and running, on top of a full-time job. The site hosted horrific videos, images, and discussions on child abuse, some of which Saunders posted himself or actively encouraged others to do so. He did this brazenly, clearly assuming he was protected by the dark web.”
Saunders will be sentenced for his crimes on 5 March, and his case has sparked outrage and raised concerns about online child exploitation. Authorities continue to work to identify and prosecute individuals involved in these heinous activities to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.