AN INTERNET account used by a policeman charged with exchanging indecent images of children was linked to a case dealt with by West Midlands Police child exploitation team, a court heard.
Michael Roger Owen Thomas, 40, formerly of Newport, is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court, accused of 11 counts of distributing indecent images of children, ten counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing an indecent image of a child.
It is alleged he exchanged images over internet messaging service, Google Hello. He denies the charges.
DC Elizabeth Hughes of West Midlands Police's child exploitation team told the jury that a computer was seized in 2007, with information stored on it forming the basis of Operation Whirr.
DC Hughes said a number of Google Hello usernames were investigated, to find the identities of individuals involved in communicating with the computer's owner and exchanging indecent images.
DC Hughes said that West Midlands Police was able to identify Thomas' home internet account as one "communicating with the computer's owner".
Defence barrister Chris Rees said no expert from Microsoft had confirmed exactly what was being exchanged.
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