A 19-year-old student, Gift Ayoola, has been sentenced to four years in prison for directing children, including toddlers, to engage in sexual acts during online video calls, recording the abuse and distributing the material to other offenders.

Ayoola, of Pendyris Street, Riverside, Cardiff, United Kingdom, was also found to have participated in online groups where child sexual abuse material was exchanged, with the prosecution telling Cardiff Crown Court that he received money for images and videos, including £5,000 from one individual.

The Case Against Gift Ayoola

At his sentencing on Wednesday, prosecutor John Ryan told the court that Ayoola communicated with a 12-year-old girl and instructed her to expose intimate parts of her body. He also directed the child to watch him masturbate.

In another case, Ayoola communicated with a girl believed to be between 11 and 13 years old and another child aged between two and four. During video calls, he gave the older girl explicit instructions to perform sexual acts on herself and directed sexual activity involving the younger child.

The fact that one of the children involved was as young as two years old makes the case particularly troubling, underscoring the extent to which children can be exposed to predatory behaviour before they are even capable of understanding what is happening to them.

Investigation and Evidence

Ayoola was first arrested at his Cardiff home in January 2025. Police seized several electronic devices and uncovered hundreds of illegal images and videos, including 455 Category A images, 401 Category B and 389 Category C, alongside extreme pornographic material involving bestiality.

Investigators found him active in Telegram and WhatsApp groups exchanging child sexual abuse material. The prosecution said 877 items were involved in purchase requests via PayPal, with Ayoola admitting to receiving £5,000 from one offender.

During questioning, he claimed some material involved people he believed were 16 to 18, but admitted sharing it citing pressure and financial gain.

Second Arrest

On March 5, 2026, Ayoola was arrested again with more material — 14 Category A, 15 Category B and 22 Category C images, including children as young as four. He pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images, possessing extreme pornography and inciting children to engage in sexual activity. The judge rejected defence claims he was not sexually motivated. He was sentenced to four years, with indefinite sex offender notification requirements and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The case raises uncomfortable questions about how easily technology becomes a tool for child exploitation when supervision and safeguards fail. Behind any online call could be an offender manipulating a child, recording the interaction and distributing it to strangers — turning abuse into a marketplace.

Unlike a harmful encounter that ends when an offender leaves, digital abuse can circulate indefinitely. For parents, guardians, schools and platforms, the reminder is clear: child protection must extend into the digital spaces where children live their lives. The punishment handed to Ayoola closes one chapter — the larger challenge is reaching children before predators do.