Parkour star with 11 million YouTube followers avoids prison even though he was caught with nearly 3,000 sex abuse images showing very young children

Published: 11:11, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 11:18, 18 July 2026 A member of an internationally famous parkour supergroup was spared prison after pleading guilty to making and possessing nearly 3,000 images of sex abuse involving children as young as six years old.  Callum Powell, 34, spent more than a decade as a member of Storror, a team of seven professional freerunners who post weekly YouTube videos of them scaling obstacles. The group has a following of more than 11 million subscribers on the streaming platform and have featured in two films directed by Transformers director Michael Bay. The Daily Mail revealed Powell's conviction in May, where he pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, one charge of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and one charge of possessing extreme pornographic images portraying a sex act with an animal. In total, he was charged at Brighton Magistrates' Court with making or possessing 2,649 category C, 105 category B and 178 category A indecent images or pseudo-images of children.  Powell previously denied intentionally seeking the images, which continued for a two-year period, and blamed an AI setting of removing clothes from photographed children without his knowledge. Category C images are those depicting children in non-sex acts but which remain illegal under UK indecency laws. Category B are images showing non-penetrative sexual activity, while Category A images depict children subjected to penetrative sexual activity, bestiality or sexual activity involving sadism.  Callum Powell (pictured) was spared prison after pleading guilty to making and possessing nearly 3,000 images of sex abuse involving children as young as six years old 'Pseudo-images', which include AI-generated content, are defined by the Protection of Children Act 1978 as 'an image, whether made by computer graphics or otherwise howsoever, which appears to be a photograph'. Powell - described as a popular, well-known face around Brighton - was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for a year, on Friday at Brighton Magistrates' Court. The court heard he has since been shunned by former friends and colleagues who he worked with for 20 years. Powell, wearing a grey hoodie, fidgeted nervously in the dock as his sentence was handed down. District Judge Amanda Kelly told Powell he had gained international prominence through his online activity. She told him: 'You initially denied knowingly seeking out these sorts of images for your own sexual gratification and suggested you may have inadvertently received them because you used an AI programme that removes clothes from images you have downloaded from Instagram. 'However, you soon went on to admit that you had obtained sexual gratification from images of children and you pleaded guilty to all offences.' The Category A images were of the 'utmost gravity' the judge said.  DJ Kelly told him she accepted his remorse, adding: 'You are genuinely sorry for the harm caused to the children in the images you have looked at.' While Powell did not directly abuse any children, his behaviour contributed to the abuse and exploitation of real children, the court heard. He downloaded truly abhorrent images of very young children being horrifically violated. 'Every viewing of such material perpetuates the market for that abuse and contributes to the continuing harm suffered by the children depicted,' DJ Kelly said. Powell demonstrated a sexual interest in children over a significant period of time, the judge added. Amy Fraser, prosecuting, said Powell's bedroom was searched after police were alerted to indecent images of children being uploaded using a Google account linked to him. Powell spent more than a decade as a member of Storror, a team of seven professional freerunners who post weekly YouTube videos of them scaling obstacles The digital files included images of children as young as six. He was arrested in June last year and four devices were seized. Powell used an iPhone, hard drive and two SD memory cards to store 2,649 Category C images, 105 Cat B, 178 Cat A, one image of bestiality and one prohibited image of a child. 'This was a large collection of images spread across multiple devices,' Ms Fraser said. Steve Wedd, defending, said Powell had lost everything since admitting the offences, and is making attempts to address offending behaviour. Mr Wedd told the court: 'In May, he pleaded guilty across the board on a full, open basis with no quibbling. It has destroyed his personal life since. 'He has lost everything. His good name, his friendships, 20 years of friendships in Storror. 'He was a leading light with 11 million subscribers around the world, $60,000 turnover a year, three billion views online. 'This pebble in this pond, ripples around the world - far beyond Brighton and Sussex.' All videos featuring Powell have since been removed from the Storror website. Mr Wedd continued: 'He's lost all his friendships in a close-knit group. They've sacked him emotionally, commercially. 'It's been 20 years in the making, undone by two years of stupidity.' Mr Wedd said former fans had even burnt a book written by Powell. His former colleagues in the Storror group described his offending as a betrayal. In a statement, Parkour UK, the sport's national governing body, said: 'Parkour UK is appalled by the offences admitted by Callum Powell at Brighton Magistrates' Court on May 7. 'There can be no such place for this abhorrent behaviour, and our thoughts are with all those affected. 'We condemn any action which abuses positions of power and influence to exploit the vulnerable. 'Safeguarding is fundamental to our sport, and we take our responsibilities in this area seriously. 'We know this news is deeply upsetting for many people across our community. 'It is a stark reminder of the importance of constant vigilance and continued action around safeguarding for all those associated with our sport.' Powell had been part of Storror since 2010. The team attracted legions of fans globally with footage of daring parkour stunts, often performed on rooftops at altitude. In 2017, Storror's self-shot film Roof Culture Asia won them a new influx of supporters after showcasing them jumping between skyscrapers in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. Having performed stunts in Michael Bay's 2019 Netflix film '6 Underground', the Hollywood director returned to the group for an in-depth profile with 2025's 'We Are Storror' - although the documentary has yet to be released commercially in the UK. Alongside the 12-month sentence, suspended for a year, Powell was ordered to do 15 rehabilitation activity days. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order means he will not be able to use social media or have any device which can access the internet without informing police first for the next five years. He will also be on the sex offender register for 10 years. Powell was also given 28 days to pay £85 costs and £187 victim surcharge.