DANIEL POWELL'S CRIMES IN CHELTENHAM AND GLOUCESTER: SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENDER'S REIGN OF TERROR

In March 2018, Daniel Powell, a man with a disturbing history of child exploitation, was sentenced to nine months in prison after breaching court orders designed to protect minors. Powell, who has multiple convictions related to indecent images and inappropriate conduct involving children, was found to have engaged in unsupervised contact with an 11-year-old girl from Gloucester, despite a court-imposed ban.

According to court proceedings at Bristol Crown Court, Powell had sent the young girl over 1,000 messages, some of which contained explicit language, including a message where he told her, “I love you.” The court heard that Powell, who was most recently residing in Weston-Super-Mare but was known to frequent Cheltenham and Gloucester, took the girl shopping at Cribbs Causeway and even invited her to a Christmas lunch, activities that clearly violated the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Despite being handed a court order in 2013 that prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, Powell managed to meet and spend time with the girl, raising serious concerns about his compliance and the effectiveness of supervision measures. Neil Treharne, the prosecutor, stated that police, acting on intelligence, confirmed Powell’s contact with the girl and his messaging of her, which included the alarming number of 1,000 messages. The investigation revealed that Powell had taken her shopping and even to a Christmas lunch, activities that were not permitted under his court restrictions.

Powell admitted to police that he had only been alone with the girl briefly, and he denied sending the message “I love you.” However, the evidence presented in court proved otherwise. The judge, His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC, emphasized that while there was no evidence of sexual offences, Powell’s blatant breaches of court orders warranted a significant custodial sentence.

In a separate case from October 2014, Powell was convicted in Gloucester Crown Court for possessing indecent images of children for the third time. The court heard that Powell, then 26, had filmed up the skirt of a young girl while working at a Cheltenham shop, PC World. Police discovered more than 150 images of children aged between two and 15 on his devices, with some images having been accessed 26 times between April 2013 and February 2014. Further investigation uncovered that Powell had attempted to delete some of these images and had hidden electronic devices, including a phone under his pillow and a hard drive at the bottom of a laundry basket.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC described Powell’s conduct as “deeply troubling” and noted that he had a history of similar offences, including a 2009 conviction for taking photographs of a 14-year-old girl and posting them online. Powell’s repeated offending demonstrated a pattern of manipulative and devious behavior, the court concluded. As a result, Powell was sentenced to three years in prison, with a further order to remain on the Sex Offenders Register and pay a victim surcharge.

Earlier in 2014, Powell’s violations of his SOPO and possession of indecent images led to multiple court appearances. Despite being given suspended sentences and ordered to undergo rehabilitation, Powell failed to comply fully, often lying to probation officers and not fulfilling his obligations. His actions included taking videos and photographs up the skirts of young girls, some as young as six, at his workplace in Cheltenham. Police investigations revealed that Powell had accessed illegal websites and possessed a significant number of indecent images, including some involving animals.

Throughout these proceedings, Powell’s defense argued that he was seeking help and that his recent cooperation indicated a desire to change. Nonetheless, the courts remained concerned about his ongoing risk to children, emphasizing that any future conviction could result in a life sentence due to the severity and pattern of his offending.

In summary, Daniel Powell’s criminal record is marked by repeated violations of court orders, possession of indecent images, and inappropriate contact with minors. His actions have caused significant distress to victims and have highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in monitoring and rehabilitating sex offenders. His case underscores the importance of strict enforcement of court orders and the need for continued vigilance to protect children from individuals like Powell.