A sex offender who had indecent images of a child as his phone wallpaper has been jailed after a horrified passenger caught him watching abuse videos on a train.
David Johnson, 35, was seen messaging a contact asking “what kinds of videos do you like? I have all kinds” – before replying: “Just kids videos.”
A passenger sitting behind him witnessed the disturbing exchange after Johnson opened a video showing a young child being abused in a separate chat.
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He then switched to another video involving a younger child – leaving the witness shaken.
The shocking incident happened on a train from Stafford to London on 23 September last year, as reported by Need To Know.
The passenger alerted British Transport Police after moving to another carriage.
Officers met the train at London Euston station and arrested Johnson on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
When searched, his phone was seized – and officers discovered his wallpaper was also an indecent image of a child.
While in custody, Johnson even asked officers if he could have his phone back because he “needed to delete some stuff”.
Further analysis uncovered nearly 200 indecent images, including 105 Category A images – the most serious level.
Officers also found messages where Johnson believed he was speaking to a 13-year-old girl and had arranged to meet her for sex.
It was later confirmed the child did not exist.
Johnson, from Wandsworth, offered no comment during police interviews.
Devices were also seized from two addresses linked to him.
He was initially released on bail before being charged in December.
On 1 April, he was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court to two years and three months in prison.
He had pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children, two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and arranging or facilitating a child sex offence.
Johnson has also been handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the sex offenders register for a decade.
Detective Constable Victoria Lowth said: “The quick thinking and courage of the man who saw Johnson’s phone meant that we were able to quickly arrest him and uncover the scale of his offending.
“I’d like to offer our sincerest thanks to that man, whose actions have directly led to Johnson’s imprisonment.
“Behind every image and video Johnson owned is a vulnerable child that has been exploited and abused.
“He is clearly a danger to children and has rightly been handed substantial jail sentence, and stringent conditions have been put in place to prevent him from offending further.
“We will always do everything we can to make the railway a hostile place for criminals, and especially those whose offending targets children.”
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