SHOCKWAVES have spread through the Cam and Dursley community after a 27-year-old man admitted viewing videos of children being sexually abused.

Matthew Gardner, of Manor Avenue in Cam, will be sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on March 17 after he pleaded guilty to four charges.

Gardner admitted that, between December 1, 2014 and September 15, 2016 in Cam, he made 99 indecent movies of children which were classified as ‘Category A’ – the most extreme kind.

Between the same dates he also admitted making indecent movies of children which were classified as Category B and C.

The fourth charge related to possessing an extreme pornographic  video depicting a person having sex with a dog.

Gardner pleaded guilty to the offences when he appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday, February 14.

He was granted unconditional bail until March 17 when he will appear at Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing.

Although the legal term for the offences is ‘making’ indecent movies, this does not mean that Gardner carried out sexual assaults on children or filmed the abuse himself, only that he watched the videos.

Under the relevant law for this kind of offence, the legal definition of ‘children’ is anyone under the age of 18.

There has been widespread shock in the local community after news of Gardner’s guilty pleas was reported online by the Gazette.

Thousands of people saw the article on our website and Facebook page, with dozens commenting to express their shock and disgust.

Surprisingly, a number of people contacted the Gazette to defend Gardner and criticise us for reporting the court case.