Ex-Tory campaign manager admits child image offences

A former Conservative Party campaign manager has admitted distributing indecent images of children.

Mark Lerigo, 49, of Coventry, pleaded guilty to all eight charges he faced at Warwick Crown Court.

The National Crime Agency (NCA), which investigated Lerigo, said he had 1,005 illegal images on an iPad.

These included 146 images rated as the most serious category A. The party suspended him after he was charged and he will be sentenced on 21 August.

Lerigo, of William Bristow Road, admitted two counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography involving animals, one of possessing prohibited images of children and one of publishing an obscene article.

He was arrested in November 2018 and was suspended by the Conservative Party after being charged.

The NCA said the iPad also contained 258 images of extreme pornography while a laptop seized contained evidence of 414 illegal images, including 59 category A images.

Investigators also found a WhatsApp chat with another offender discussing the sexual abuse of children.

Graham Ellis, NCA operations manager, said: "Offenders who view indecent images are fuelling more and more sexual abuse of children.

"Every time an abuse image is shared or viewed the child is re-victimised.

"It doesn't matter what walk of life an offender is from, we will do everything in our power to catch them."

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