Man who sold illegal streams to TV and sport jailed for three years

His brother was also charged.

Stephen Woodward sold illegal access to copyrighted content through the websites IPTV Hosting, Helix Hosting and Black and White TV, pocketing around £1million.

Following an investigation by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, the brothers were sentenced.

Stephen Woodward was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, while his brother, Christopher, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

PIPCU’s investigators secured an all-assets restraint order against a total of £1.1 million held in 15 bank accounts and 21 cryptocurrency wallets owned by Stephen.

A further £144,121 worth of cash, which was seized from Stephen during the investigation, was also frozen. 

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said: “Illegal streaming weakens the creative industries by diverting money away from legitimate businesses and into the hands of criminals like Stephen Woodward.

"Lost revenue as a result of illegal streaming means fewer jobs and less investment in future opportunities. It’s estimated that this criminal activity contributes to over 80,000 job losses each year alone.

“Stephen was brazen in running his illegal steaming websites. Despite being the subject of a criminal investigation, he had clearly not learned his lesson and yet again attempted to gain financially from his illegal activity.

“His sentencing and upcoming confiscation proceedings should send a message that there are significant consequences for criminals who enable illegal access to copyrighted content.”