An Eastbourne Paedophile Martin Yates, who was the assistant moderator of a site dedicated to child sexual abuse on the dark web was ONLY jailed for five years and four months.
Eastbourne 48-year-old Martin Yates worked for a site named “The Annex.” The National Crime Agency found him following a probe aimed at individuals running it.
Using “hurtcore” and the sexual assault of infants and toddlers, the once-active Annex had about 90,000 worldwide members sharing and debating some of the most extreme forms of abuse content.
Between January and September 2020, Martin Yates was assistant moderator, ranking just below head moderator Nathan Bake, who was imprisoned last week for sixteen years.
An American guy oversaw the Annex; he had been condemned to life in prison in the US in January. Last August, London psychiatrist Kabir Garg, down the chain, received a six-year jail sentence.
Like Bake, Martin Yates ensured the site stayed in running order. He advised on security issues, gave access to private and exclusive areas of the site, and enforced the policies by either promoting or deleting other members. He also shared with others his training on the part he had gotten.
Martin Yates was less cautious about his security, though. His login on the website was “yates704,” in chat logs obtained by the NCA; he also informed other users of his first name, age, and residence in Eastbourne.
Additionally, I discovered on “HACKFORUMS.NEWS, a clean website forum devoted to a conversation on hacker culture and cyber security,” which was “yates704.”
Between ‘yates704’ and other Annex users, investigators discovered 6,000 private messages. From fantasy role-playing involving the sexual assault of children to more official talks about the site’s moderation, tips on how to publish obscene photographs of minors, and strategies to avoid law enforcement, the conversations ranged in nature.
Using this information and the email addresses connected to Martin Yates, NCA officials found and arrested him from his Eastbourne house in July 2022.
Martin Yates fully admitted to being the controller of his moderator account, that he worked as a staff member on The Annex, and that he had shared material on child abuse as part of his job when asked.
Charged, he entered a guilty plea to six counts at Hastings Magistrates’ Court in November last year: one of organising or enabling the sexual abuse of children, four of creating and distributing indecent photos of children, and one of possession of banned images of children.
Sentenced today at Lewes Crown Court to five years and four months, Martin Yates was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and issued a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Senior investigating officer Jen Cruickshank of the National Crime Agency said: “The Annex simply wouldn’t have been able to run without people like Martin Yates.” Without drawing notice from law authorities, he was instrumental in keeping it maintained and making sure users from all over could keep accessing its horrifying material.
“Sites like these directly and freely encourage users to conduct sexual offences against children, and those who run or visit them feel they are shielded by anonymity.
The NCA, however, has the technical capacity and will to pursue people who endanger children sexually and utilise the dark web to attempt and conceal themselves.
“We keep closely working with foreign partners to guarantee offenders like Yates are found and prosecuted.”
Targeting this group of moderators, the NCA teamed with several foreign partners.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.