SHOEBURY PAEDOPHILE DANIEL CARR SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN SOUTHEND AND BASILDON

In July 2017, Daniel Carr, a man from Shoebury, was sentenced to two years in prison at Basildon Crown Court after admitting to multiple serious child sex offences. Carr, who previously served as the district treasurer for Southend West Scouts, was found guilty of engaging in disturbing online activities involving minors.

The court heard that Carr, aged 26 at the time, used the messaging application Kik to infiltrate group chats where he attempted to manipulate young boys into touching themselves and sending him explicit photographs. Prosecutor Jessica Franklin detailed that police discovered these heinous messages during a raid on Carr’s residence in December. The messages revealed Carr’s disturbing statements, including his expressed desire to relocate to Mexico, where he claimed the age of consent was 12, so he could have sexual relations with 12-year-olds. Franklin emphasized that Carr stated he had engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old on multiple occasions, although no direct victims were identified during the investigation.

Carr pleaded guilty to five counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, which spanned from November to December of the previous year. An extensive investigation uncovered over 200 indecent images of children on his phone, including 26 of the most severe Category A images, 58 Category B images, and 137 Category C images. Additionally, Carr admitted to distributing indecent images, which included four Category A, two Category B, and two Category C images. During police interviews, Carr acknowledged his offences but claimed he had no intention of meeting any of the children involved.

Following the revelations, Carr was expelled from the Scouts, and his position as district treasurer was revoked. Judge John Lodge addressed the court, stating, “It matters very little that you had no intention of meeting them. These were real people who were really being abused by you in real time.” The judge’s comments underscored the severity of online abuse and the real harm inflicted through such actions.

Earlier in July, Carr appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted to 11 offences related to his online activities. He faced charges of downloading more than 200 indecent images of children, including the 26 most serious Category A images, and distributing these images, which involved similar categories. The most serious charges involved persuading children aged between 12 and 15 to send him naked photographs, with these incidents occurring between November 2015 and December of the previous year. Prosecutor Lesley Chipps explained that such offences are typically dealt with at the Crown Court, with starting points of three years for making and distributing images and two years for inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Alan Payne, the chairman of the bench, informed Carr that he would need to sign the sex offenders register and that his sentencing would be determined at the Crown Court. Carr was released on unconditional bail and declined to comment outside court, muttering “No comment” when asked about his current involvement with the Scouts. His sentencing hearing was scheduled for July 31 at Basildon Crown Court, where the full extent of his punishment will be determined.