Eastbourne man jailed for running online child abuse chat groups
Joao-Carlos Jardim Dos Santos Teixeira pleaded guilty to all charges.
Joao-Carlos Jardim Dos Santos Teixeira, a 26-year-old from Eastbourne, has been sentenced to 11 years and 4 months for operating online child abuse chat groups.
Teixeira was involved in three different online messaging groups focusing on child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated images.
The investigation, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), began in February 2024 when officers arrested Teixeira at his home and seized numerous devices.
He participated in secret chats sharing pseudo and prohibited images, including more than 1,000 Category A images.
In addition to possessing nearly 20,000 indecent and prohibited images, Teixeira was found to have encouraged another user to engage in sexual activity with a 13-year-old boy.
Despite being released on bail, Teixeira was arrested again in November 2025 for continued offences.
He pleaded guilty in December 2025 and was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 17th February 2026.
Upon sentencing, His Honour Judge Mooney remarked: “What I ask is how you could be so cruel. No sentence I pass will undo the damage you caused but in passing sentence, there must be a significant degree of deterrence.”
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Danielle Pownall commented on Teixeira's actions, highlighting his attempts to conceal his activities online and the threat he poses to society.
“The NCA will continue to hunt down perpetrators of child sexual abuse and bring them to justice.”