Wallsend Man Sentenced for Child Sex Offences

A Wallsend man who used social media platforms to send explicit messages and request indecent images from children has been sentenced to four years and five months in prison following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Daniel Lee, 29, engaged in over 2,405 conversations on multiple platforms, sending more than 60,000 messages to obtain indecent images of children. NCA officers recovered 97 Category A, 94 Category B, and 215 Category C images and videos from his devices.

Nine UK child victims, aged between 13 and 16, were identified. In one instance, a 14-year-old victim informed Lee of her age, but he continued to engage in sexually explicit messaging and voice notes. In another case, Lee asked the victim's age and persisted in requesting indecent images after learning she was 15.

Lee created false profiles, using a fake image to deceive a 14-year-old victim. He claimed to be 16 and sent her £20 to encourage sexually explicit messages, exchanging over 4,000 messages with her.

Investigators found messages where Lee sought sexual content from other accounts, offering to pay for images, videos, and live sessions, despite lacking the funds.

Lee was arrested at his home in August 2022. Upon arrest, he admitted his actions but provided a "no comment" interview. He pleaded guilty to 45 charges, including inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, and making and distributing indecent images of children.

In addition to his prison sentence, Lee is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Danielle Pownall, from the NCA, stated: "The NCA is committed to protecting children and bringing those who seek this material out to justice. Daniel Lee was a prolific offender, targeting children on social media sites and soliciting illegal images from them for his own gratification."

Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: "Daniel Lee made a number of different accounts with false personas, for the predatory purpose of targeting children online and obtaining sexual images of them. His offending has affected dozens of children, who were manipulated and exploited, all for his own sexual gratification."