CRAIG MCLEAN, BILLINGHAM PAEDOPHILE, SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

In August 2012, Craig McLean, a paedophile from Billingham, was sentenced to an indefinite jail term after being convicted of serious sexual offenses against young victims. McLean, aged 27, was identified as a significant threat to girls by the court following an extensive police investigation.

The case was prompted in September of the previous year when police were alerted by the grandfather of one of the victims. An investigation revealed that McLean had set up a sophisticated computer system linked to cameras, which he used to film himself abusing one of his three young victims. Authorities found a disturbing collection of child abuse images and videos stored on his equipment.

Efforts to identify the victims in the footage uncovered that McLean had been abusing two of the children depicted, with some images sourced from the internet. During court proceedings, Judge Anton Lodge described McLean’s actions as "shameful and degrading acts," and sentenced him to life imprisonment for the protection of the public.

In police interviews, McLean admitted to having an attraction to young girls, stating, "I do have an attraction to little girls." He also attempted to explain the complexities of his inclinations: "People get the wrong impression of paedophiles. It’s not just kids. We do like adults as well. I’d say seven or eight-plus."

McLean’s barrister, Peter Makepeace, highlighted the unusual nature of the case, saying, "It is an unusual feature of this case that Mr McLean has admitted everything that has been laid against him. Normally, such cases are marked by blatant denials in the face of often overwhelming evidence. Very often they are marked by a complete inability to see the deviance of which has been spoken and a blindness to the problem that exists in their own psyche." Mr. Makepeace added, "Mr McLean is determined to do everything he can, to use every possible assistance he can get, to address this issue so that he never, ever offends again. I am specifically asked to express the remorse, shame, regret and apology this man would wish to make to his victims. He knows the damage is incalculable."

McLean pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual assault, one count of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and possession of more than 33,000 indecent images. The judge condemned his actions, stating, "He seduced and enticed the girls and said: ‘They will be damaged for life by what you did.’"

One of the victims spoke out about the impact of McLean’s crimes, saying, "He took pictures of me naked and made it out to be a game. It has all affected me quite a lot. I am wary around men."