Paedophile claims he is ‘no danger to children’

A convicted paedophile who downloaded 14,000 indecent images and videos from the dark web but insisted he was not a danger to children has been jailed for 30 months.

Mark Dale, 45, was arrested at his home in Romford, east London, last 21 July after linking his HP laptop to a known paedophile forum.

Dale lurked on chat rooms and searched for material online using software to connect him to the TOR Network, an internet network designed to conceals users’ identities.

Investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) seized a laptop and tablet containing 14,222 indecent images and videos of children – ranging from category A, the most serious, to C.

Dale was convicted in 2011 and 2019 for similar offences, and was subject under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which meant he had to register any electronic devices with the police.

He was found to have four unregistered electronic devices when he was arrested, including the tablet and laptop he had filled with child porn.

Last month when he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court via video-link- from HMP Wandsworth he apparently suffered an anxiety attack and Judge Sandy Canavan had to tell him to breathe.

Dale, shaking uncontrollably, told Judge Canavan: ‘Your honour, I’m not a danger to children.

‘I’m the primary carer for my mum and I’m worried what will happen to her.’

Dale, of Market Place, Romford, admitted six counts of possessing indecent images of children and two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention order.

He was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

NCA Operations Manager Martin Ludlow said: ‘Despite being a convicted child sex offender, Dale continued to seek out abuse images in the belief that using the dark web gave him anonymity.

‘Every image or video Dale downloaded and viewed depicts a child being exploited.

‘This is an individual with a history of committing child sexual abuse offences.

‘His willingness to continue with his behaviour, and use of the dark web to try and circumvent those who were monitoring him, shows a total disregard for victims, and the seriousness of his crimes.

‘Working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure those who pose a risk to children are brought to justice.’