DANIEL SHIPLEY JAILED IN RAINHAM FOR CHILD INDECENCY OFFENSES

In May 2016, a man from Rainham was sentenced to prison after being found in possession of indecent images of children and engaging in disturbing online conversations involving minors. The case drew significant attention due to the disturbing nature of the material and the online activity linked to the offender.

The individual, identified as Daniel Shipley, was found to have a phone containing over 116,000 conversations related to child sex abuse, which were conducted across various messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Snapchat, iMessenger, Kik, and other similar services. Police managed to download these explicit chats from Shipley's iPhone 5s during their investigation. However, the court was not informed of the exact number of conversations Shipley participated in, only that the material was extensive and deeply troubling.

Shipley's arrest was triggered by a tip-off from authorities in New Zealand. It was during this international investigation that police discovered he had shared an indecent photograph of a young girl, which he had taken himself, with another online predator through one of the messaging apps. This revelation was a crucial part of the case, linking Shipley directly to the distribution of child exploitation material.

During the court proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court, prosecutor Craig Evans outlined the charges against Shipley. He admitted to three counts of possessing indecent images of children with the intent to distribute, as well as a separate charge of taking indecent images of a child. The images were not stored directly on his phone but were uncovered as a result of analyzing the downloaded conversations. Police categorized eighty images, which varied in severity, including video clips, and these images covered all three levels of seriousness as defined by law.

Shipley, who is 25 years old and resides in Rainham, was described by his legal counsel as someone who had become involved in these chats during a period when he was suffering from depression. Despite this, the court emphasized the gravity of his actions. He was sentenced to 31 months in prison. Judge Charles Macdonald QC acknowledged that Shipley had shown some remorse and had made efforts toward self-help, but he also described the offences as both worrying and revolting. The judge stressed the importance of deterrence and public protection in his sentencing decision.

Upon his release from prison, Shipley will be required to sign the sex offenders’ register and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order. This order will restrict his access to the internet and prohibit him from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16. Additionally, he will be barred from working with children in any capacity, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.