College lecturer with 'warped sexual interest' sent sickening video to colleagues

A college lecturer sent work colleagues an explicit video of young children engaged in sexual activity, a court has heard. Stephen Battenbough shared the illegal video with people in a group chat on WhatsApp and the matter was immediately reported to college bosses, and subsequently the police. When the defendant's phones were seized officers found images of bestiality. A judge at Swansea Crown Court said 57-year-old Battenbough had a "warped sexual interest" and said it was "astonishing and very worrying" that material of a paedophile nature was being distributed among those with responsibility for young people. Craig Jones, prosecuting, said the offence happened on May 6 this year when the defendant was employed as a carpentry lecturer at Gower College Swansea . He said on the day in question Battenbough shared a video showing sexual activity between a boy and girl aged around six to eight years with a dozen colleagues who were members of a WhatsApp group which was primarily used to arrange "well-being walks" with staff members. The court heard the 12-second long video was reported to managers who referred the matter to the local authority safeguarding team. The matter was then reported to the police. When Battenbough was arrested and his phones were seized officers found 16 images depicting bestiality on the devices. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter The barrister said the prosecution did not bring the case on the basis that the defendant had a sexual interest in children, and said that whatever his motivation for sending the video may have been it was not the prosecution case that it was done for sexual gratification. Stephen Thomas Battenbough, of Penygraig Road, Ystradown, Cwmllynfell, had previously pleaded guilty to distribution of a Category B video and possession of extreme pornography when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Hywel Davies, for Battenbough, said the defendant had lost his job at the college "very, very quickly" after the incident and now worked as a self-employed carpenter. He said the author of the pre-sentence report had concluded that his client's actions were the result of "poor decision making" rather than being linked to any sexual motivation. Judge Paul Thomas KC said "perhaps generously or otherwise" the prosecution had accepted that Battenbough had no sexual motive for the offending, and he said he would be sentenced accordingly. However, he said it was "astonishing and very worrying" that material of a "paedophile nature" was being distributed amongst those with responsibility for young people. The judge said it was clear from the photographs found on Battenbough's phone that he had a "warped sexual interest", and he said in his view the defendant "should never have been anywhere near the education of young people". The judge said he wated to make it clear that in coming to the appropriate sentence he - like all judges - was obliged to follow the sentencing guidelines regardless of personal views. With a discount for his guilty pleas the defendant was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and complete a rehabilitation course. Battenbough will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.