EXCLUSIVE: Judge brands paedo Joao Teixeira who helped run Telegram and Signal child abuse groups in 'different statosphere' of crime as he cages him for 11 years (well 7 or 8 in reality!)

A JUDGE branded a paedophile who was a key figure in twisted online child abuse groups that shared sex abuse material of children including babies as being in a "different statosphere of crimianlity" before jailing him for more than 11 years.

Joao Teixeira, 26, (above) was found in possession of 17,005 indecent images of children on his devices, Lewes Crown Court heard today, during a National Crime Agency (NCA) probe into the use of Telegram and Signal by sick online crime groups involved in distributing horrific child abuse material to other paedophiles.

He was also involved in groups on Telegram and Signal that encourage the sexual abuse of children before sharing the images.

Teixeira's sentence today, February 17 2026, came the same day as the NCA warned the threat from online child sex abuse has never been greater.

An NCA spokesperson said: "Over the last two years, there has been a sustained increase in the number of reports of alleged child abuse to law enforcement, particularly in relation to online offences, highlighting the growing role of digital environments in facilitating abuse. But the law enforcement response has never been better, with nearly 1,000 offenders arrested on average each month."

NCA Director General Operations Rob Jones told a press briefing that the scale and intensity of online child sex abuse was really worrying with 250 suspects coming to light each week.

The scale of reports has risen nearly ten times since 2014, he said.

In 2014 there were 2,500 disseminations to local police forces in the UK from 10,952 referrals from US cyber investigators, he said.

In 2025 the number of US referrals had risen to 91,975, with 33,520 cases disseminated to UK police forces he said - that's 640 referrals in a four week period.

He said: "In a month in the UK in 2025 we were doing what we did in a year in 2014. The threat is getting worse despite our best efforts."

Back in court today, prosecuting, Rebecca Austin said chats recovered from the platforms showed Teixeria, who the court heard was neurodiverse, focussed on children aged three to six.

He admitted two counts each of being involved in an organised crime group and two of facilitating the sexual exploitation of children by being an administrator for sickening groups on Telegram whose sole focus was the sharing of child sex abuse material.

An earlier hearing in December heard that Teixeira, whose full name is Joao Carlos Jardim dos Santos Teixeira, was an administrator of the two platforms called Sugar Heaven and Naughty Room 3.0 after being "voted" into the positions by other paedophile members.

His arrest followed an "intensive" investigation, Operation Ritornel, by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into the two groups that had gone to great lengths to conceal their horrific activities.

He also admitted three counts of making indecent photographs and videos of children, with 1,023 of them classed as the worst type category A.

He also admitted three offences of distributing indecent images of children between May 15 2023 and February 1 2024.

One count he admitted was possession of a total of 13,703 prohibited images of children.

He also admitted inciting the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old boy who was raped between June 14 and June 15 2023.

Judge Stephen Mooney expressed his revulsion at the offending during the sentencing saying that sentencing guidelines had not been written in the expectation of such abuse.

He said: "This is in a different stratosphere of criminality. 

"I've never seen a case like this before and hope I never see a case like this again. It is such an appaling reflection of the offending that the author of these guidelines did not expect such appalling offending."

Ms Austin told the court today: "Operation Ritornel is an investigation by the National Crime Agency into the incitement and facilitation of child sexual abuse and the distribution of images of children being sexually abused and raped on free and legal encrypted social media sites.

"(It) focused on the use of (Telegram and Signal) for the exploitation of children.

"The NCA investigation identified that the username JC operated on chat groups on Signal and Telegram. The JC username shared AI generated child sexual abuse images which included distributing AI images of toddlers being abused.

The JC username was also the administrator of a group called Shota Heaven. A review of the messages showed that the group facilitated the sexual abuse of children.

"The defendant also incited the sexual exploitation of children on the Telegram Platform to incite the sexual abuse of children.

"The username Qtbuns suggested that they had raped a thirteen year old. To prove this Qtbuns sends a Category B image of a male child to JC.

"The JC username encouraged QtBuns to rape them again and to record the abuse.

"The defendant then makes a request for a video of Qtbuns raping the child, saying 'if ur able to get a video you'll fulfill my dream of knowing someone who's shown me evidence of their naughtiness.'"

JC was also linked to the "Naughty Room" Telegram chat room, where there were private conversations between the defendant and another user discussing how many “pedos” may be in the main group.

The court heard that JC was linked to a mobile phone number used by Teixeira's home address in Albert Terrace, Eastbourne.

Ms Austin added: "A warrant executed at his address and a review of the devices seized revealed 17,005 files that contained images of child sexual abuse.

"When interviewed under caution on the 1 st February 2024, the defendant was legally represented and answered no comment to all questions asked."

Teixeira was released on bail but was arrested again in November 2025 after he continued to offend online.

He was arrested again and on December 10 2025, pleaded guilty to the twelve count Indictment that reflected the images he possessed and distributed.

Even Teixeira's defence barrister Richard Boddy said the material involved would be "chilling" for anyone to hear and they would likely feel "anger, disgust and revulsion."

Judge Mooney said each of Teixeira's victims would have suffered recurring pain and trauma as a result of their abuse and the length of sentence had to reflect an adequate deterrent to anyone else considering such offending.

He said: "What I ask is how you could be so cruel. No sentence I pass will undo the damage you caused but in passing sentence, there must be a significant degree of deterrence.”

His Honour Judge Mooney said: “What I ask is how you could be so cruel. No sentence I pass will undo the damage you caused but in passing sentence, there must be a significant degree of deterrence.”

He jailed him for a total of 11 years and four months, but he will be released and remain on licence after serving two thirds of the sentence.

He will also be placed under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and on the sex offenders' register.

The court heard the Portuguese national, who has no other convictions in the UK, is likely to be deported after serving his sentence with Judge Mooney saying it was unlikely anyone would oppose this.

After the sentence NCA Senior Investigating Officer Danielle Pownall said: “Teixeira actively sought out online communities where he could indulge in his predatory desires. He was trying to conceal his online activities whilst looking for likeminded people to engage in child abuse offences.

“The fact he went beyond the digital world and encouraged another user to abuse children shows the threat he poses to society."