The arrest of the man at the head of a massive paedophile network led police to a pervert in Coventry, it emerged.

Child-porn hunt led to jailing of ex-BNP candidate

THE arrest of the man at the head of a massive paedophile network led police to a pervert in Coventry, it has emerged.

The 51-year-old admitted 14 charges of making indecent photographs, four of distributing them and one charge of possessing an image for distribution.

Rowley was arrested at what was then his home in Knightlow Avenue, Willenhall, Coventry, in February last year.

Police tracked down Rowley after arresting Oliver Smith in January last year.

Roderick Rowley, who stood as a candidate for the BNP in Coventry’s Woodlands Ward in the local elections in 2004, was jailed for 15 months in December after sending obscene images involving children.

Smith, aged 39, formerly of Rotherfield Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, was the head of a huge child pornography network. Smith was jailed for three years and nine months on Monday for making, distributing and possessing more than 2,000 images of children. He traded pictures with more than 630 people.

Smith had been found guilty of four charges of making indecent photographs, four of distributing and two of possessing them.

Birmingham Crown Court was told he sent 1,848 pictures and film clips involving children as young as three months.

Sentencing Smith, Judge Phillip Gregory said "I cannot describe the utter vileness of the photos you considered it appropriate to investigate, download onto your computer, store, and distribute to other like-minded people interested in such gross sexual contact with young children."