A businessman and former president of the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce has today (Friday, Dec 18) admitted 12 counts of child sexual abuse, after a National Crime Agency investigation (NCA).

When arrested by NCA officers in October 2019, at his home on Baring Road, Cowes, Peter Tomlinson said: “The thing you’re looking for is on my computer in there. It is my escape from reality. That is all it is.”

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The 63-year-old admitted five counts of paying for the sexual services of a girl under 13 - by arranging, directing and paying for the live-streamed sexual abuse of children in the Philippines.

Tomlinson paid £5,511, via 127 transactions to accounts in the Philippines, between May 2015 and April 2017 – all for suspected live-streamed child sexual abuse (CSA).

The NCA uncovered evidence that, between May 5 2018 and February 13 2019, he repeatedly paid a woman for the live-streamed abuse of two young girls.

The youngest was just 10 when the abuse began.

In one exchange, in January 2019, Tomlinson said he would pay the woman £7.66 if she performed a sexual act on the girl.

Investigators unearthed proof of thousands of messages between Tomlinson and the Filipino facilitator – who has been arrested and the children safeguarded.

They exchanged 4,166 lines of chat on Skype – 358 indicated to be video calls and 3,809 text messages.

During those calls Tomlinson repeatedly asked for “harder” abuse footage, spelling out what he wanted to see and then complaining about what he received.

In June 2018, he paid the woman £12.99 and then complained saying for that price: “I will expect a show with two girls for 30 minutes.”

Communication between Tomlinson and the woman was at all times of the day and night, said the NCA.

He told her: “I am busy in meetings” and “I’m still working”.

During interview with  NCA officers, Tomlinson admitted arranging, directing and paying for live-streamed abuse and possessing indecent images of children.

His electronic devices contained 47 category A images (the most severe), 148 category B, and 353 category C images and 46 extreme images.

There was also evidence of more victims of live-streaming abuse, including an indecent image of a girl aged about eight. A further investigation is ongoing.

NCA operations manager Phil Eccles said: “Peter Tomlinson believed he could carry out his sickening offences from the comfort of his own home and get away with it.

“He was directly responsible for the most heinous abuse of children thousands of miles away from him.

“Live-streaming sex crimes exploits the vulnerable; he was helped in this case by facilitators whose motive is to make money.

“Live-streaming is a key threat to the UK, and one of the main forms of financially-driven offending, for which the Philippines remains a key hub.

“The NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes.

“Anyone like Tomlinson should know that the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes.”