A 19 year old Nigerian, Gift Ayoola, has been sentenced to four years in prison by Cardiff Crown Court in the United Kingdom after admitting to sexually exploiting children online, recording the abuse and distributing the material to other offenders.
Ayoola was sentenced on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, after pleading guilty to causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity, making and distributing indecent images of children, and possessing extreme pornography.
The court heard that Ayoola used online communications to target children, including a 12 year old girl whom he instructed to expose herself during an online interaction. In another case, he was found to have communicated with children aged between 11 and 13 and a younger child aged between two and four.
According to evidence presented in court, Ayoola recorded some of the abuse and circulated the material through online groups on platforms including Telegram and WhatsApp. He also received requests from offenders seeking to purchase images and videos, with the prosecution telling the court that one buyer paid him £5,000.
Police first arrested Ayoola at his Cardiff home in January 2025. Searches of his electronic devices uncovered hundreds of indecent images involving children, including 455 Category A images, 401 Category B images and 389 Category C images. Officers also found extreme pornography depicting bestiality.
Ayoola was arrested again on March 5, 2026, and further indecent images involving children as young as four were reportedly discovered on his devices.
During police questioning, Ayoola admitted sharing and sending the material, claiming he did so under pressure and because he needed money.
His defence lawyer, Martha Smith-Higgins, told the court that Ayoola had lost his mother at the age of six and later moved to the United Kingdom. She described him as remorseful and noted that he had previously been of good character.
However, sentencing Judge Vanessa Francis rejected suggestions that the offences were not sexually motivated. The judge said the children had been exploited because of their trust and vulnerability and described the conduct as a serious form of sexual abuse.
In addition to the four-year prison sentence, Ayoola will be subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely and has been issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 10 years.
The case highlights the dangers children face from online exploitation and the use of digital platforms to facilitate the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
