DANIEL TITLEY SENTENCED IN TELFORD FOR DISGUSTING ONLINE PREDATION ON UNDER-AGE GIRLS IN PERTHSHIRE

In November 2012, a disturbing case unfolded at Perth Sheriff Court involving Daniel Titley, a 20-year-old man from Telford, Shropshire, who was convicted of engaging in highly inappropriate and predatory online behavior directed at under-age girls. The court heard that Titley had used an online chat platform to target three young girls from Perthshire, employing deceitful tactics to establish contact.

Initially, Titley pretended to be a friend of one of the girls on MSN Messenger, a popular messaging service at the time. His deception was aimed at gaining their trust, which he exploited to send sexually explicit messages. The court was informed that his actions escalated quickly, with him exposing himself via webcam to one of the girls and performing a sexual act on camera. These acts were part of a series of lewd and indecent behaviors committed between June 1 and September 1, 2010.

During an earlier court appearance, Titley admitted to three charges of behaving in a lewd, indecent, and libidinous manner towards the girls, all of whom were under 16 at the time. The court had deferred sentencing to allow for background reports, but the gravity of his actions was clear. Prosecutor Alan Kempton highlighted that Titley was fully aware of the girls’ ages, noting that when one girl disclosed she was only 13, he responded with a disturbing remark: “Wow, that’s young.”

The case came to light when teachers at the girls’ school discovered the inappropriate communications and contacted law enforcement authorities. Forensic analysis was subsequently conducted on Titley’s phones and computers, as well as those belonging to the victims. The investigation led to his arrest at his home, which he shared with his mother and stepfather.

During the sentencing hearing, Titley’s solicitor, Cheryl Clarke, described her client’s actions as “inherently stupid,” suggesting that part of his motivation was a misguided sense of flattery. Despite this, Sheriff Robert McCreadie was unequivocal in his condemnation. He stated that Titley had knowingly preyed on vulnerable young girls to satisfy his own desires, and emphasized the damaging potential of his actions on the victims’ future development. The sheriff described the messages as “disgusting” and underscored the seriousness of the offense.

In response to the severity of the case, Sheriff McCreadie sentenced Titley to 10 months in prison. Following his release, Titley will be subject to a five-year period on licence. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and placed under a five-year sexual offences prevention order. This order prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with individuals under 18, working with minors, entering online chat rooms, using messaging services or webcams, and contacting the victims. Police will also have access to his electronic devices to monitor compliance with these restrictions.