Three people found themselves accused of child abuse offences because of an error by BT
12:00, 22 Oct 2025
Dyfed-Powys Police investigated three innocent people for having child abuse images after a BT error meant that their IP address was swapped with the real offender’s(Image: PA)
Three people were wrongly accused of downloading child abuse images due to a broadband wiring error by a BT engineer, a tribunal has heard. A mistake in the wiring inside a street cabinet made years earlier meant that internet activity linked to the real offender was traced to an address where two men and a woman were living.
Dyfed-Powys Police began an investigation into the sharing of indecent images of children (IIOC) and data provided by BT about the IP address the images were downloaded from resulted in the three individuals having their electronic devices seized and examined during two searches by officers.
The false accusations back in 2016 had “highly distressing” and had “serious consequences” for the three who had to tell their employers about the investigation, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) was told.
One of the men was placed on restricted duties at work after his employer was told that a child protection investigation was ongoing against him and the other had a job offer withdrawn.
Social services advised the innocent woman involved that her children could not reside with her alone until she was cleared by the investigation.
Each of the three claimants were granted anonymity by the tribunal, and the location of the incident was only described as Dyfed-Powys Police’s “area of operation in Wales”, which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.
The tribunal, which investigates complaints about the alleged conduct of public bodies in relation to members of the public, ruled that Dyfed-Powys Police had acted lawfully, and found that the error was caused by a technical fault rather than police misconduct.
BT told the tribunal that crossed wires, described as a “rare occurrence”, meant that the real offender’s IP address had been “misattributed” to the first male claimant who was its registered tenant, which he shared with a friend whose girlfriend was also visiting at the time. The tribunal heard this error was not something police could have foreseen.
BT have been contacted for comment.
The three claimants were never charged with any offence and were innocent of any wrongdoing in connection with their investigation.
Dyfed-Powys Police told the tribunal that their conduct throughout the police investigation “was exemplary and without fault.”
The real offender was later identified at an address which was “within very close proximity” to the home of the three claimants. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here
The individual was arrested and an examination of their devices found indecent images of children. The individual was subsequently convicted of related offences.
The tribunal did not find grounds for compensation or remedies for the three claimants, as the force had acted within the law and responded appropriately once the error was discovered.
A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “We recognise the upset and hurt suffered by the claimants in this case, and commend them for the dignity, integrity, and full co-operation shown throughout.
“We welcome the judgement which recognises that the errors discovered were no fault of the police, and all investigatory actions carried out by our officers were lawful, proportionate, and necessary.
“Despite the difficult circumstances, we are satisfied that the party responsible for this error has been brought to justice.”
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
