A man from Manchester has received a 22-month suspended sentence after an eight-year investigation into the advertising and sale of unauthorised TV decoders.
The investigation by Greater Manchester Police and anti-piracy coalition FACT began in October 2015 after intelligence suggested the sattvuk.co.uk website and an associated Facebook page were offering illegal IPTV services.
42 year-old Jordan Longbottom provided customers with equipment and technical resources to receive premium TV content normally received from Sky and Virgin. A cease-and-desist notice was initially issued in January 2016 and a second notice the following month. However Longbottom continued his activities.
In January 2017, police officers from the Economic Crime Unit at Greater Manchester Police executed a warrant and seized several items, including set-top Boxes and digital devices yjay later led to Longbottom’s arrest.
“This case has been investigated since 2017 and it goes to show that our officers and staff will not stop until justice has been served and those responsible have been brought to justice. Our economic crime unit, alongside partner agencies such as FACT will actively pursue and robustly investigate anyone who thinks it is acceptable to break the law and commit crime in our communities,” said Keith Graham of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit and former GMP detective in the unit Paul Bayliss in a joint statement.
Added Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT: “This ruling underscores our steadfast commitment to upholding the rule of law, protecting intellectual property rights, and preserving a fair and balanced marketplace for all stakeholders. It sends a clear message about the serious consequences of such illicit activities and serves as a deterrent for potential infringers.”
Longbottom pleaded guilty to charges of advertising and selling unauthorised decoders.
