DAVID PRICE FROM SOUTHPORT EXTRADITED FROM CHINA AND JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In a landmark case that underscores international cooperation in combating child exploitation, David Price, a 69-year-old man from Southport, Merseyside, has been successfully extradited from China and subsequently sentenced to prison for his heinous crimes involving child abuse images and exploitation.

Price's criminal activities date back to 2003 when he was caught possessing hundreds of indecent images depicting himself and others engaged in sexual abuse of children. He admitted to 21 counts related to the possession, creation, and distribution of such indecent images. His actions led to a sentence of seven and a half years at Liverpool Crown Court.

Following his initial arrest, Price fled the UK, escaping to Kenya and Tanzania before eventually arriving in central China. While in China, he was found teaching English to primary school children in the Hubei province. His presence there was monitored by Merseyside Police, who tracked him down after six years of covert surveillance and investigation.

Despite the absence of a formal extradition treaty between the UK and China, a diplomatic agreement facilitated his transfer. The process was complex and required extensive negotiations involving the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Home Office, and Chinese authorities. Price was arrested in May of the previous year and was returned to the UK under police escort in November.

During the investigation, authorities discovered a staggering 800 indecent images stored on computers at Price’s residence on Portland Street. Due to the specific terms of the extradition agreement, authorities were unable to charge him with particular sexual assault offences, but the evidence against him was overwhelming.

Judge Mark Brown, presiding over the case, sentenced Price to four years in prison. The judge remarked that if it had been possible to charge him with specific sexual offences, Price would have faced a significantly longer sentence. Historically, Price had a criminal record, including a 1990 conviction for gross indecency against a young girl and a 2003 incident where he was caught supplying indecent images of children over the internet to an undercover police officer in the United States.

Prosecutor Henry Riding detailed the extent of Price’s predatory behavior, revealing that he targeted children aged between six and ten in Dubai. Court documents indicated that Price exploited the vulnerability of a Pakistani mother, whose husband had left her and who was living in severe poverty. Price corresponded with her, suggesting that she take money from him so he could abuse her daughters. In one letter, he explicitly stated he had “no moral considerations at all.”

Further evidence showed that Price used his website, “kiddiepix,” to facilitate meetings between children in Dubai and other paedophiles. The court heard that he rewarded the children with trips to McDonald's, teddy bears, and sweets, further demonstrating his depraved conduct.

Judge Brown condemned Price’s actions, describing his messages about the children as “abhorrent” and emphasizing that he had no insight into the damage caused. The judge labeled him as “wicked and depraved,” and a “very dangerous individual,” who preyed upon vulnerable children and their mother due to her financial hardship. The court’s verdict highlighted the calculated and exploitative nature of his crimes.

Authorities found four computers at Price’s home containing more than 800 indecent images, many of which depicted children under the age of 13 being abused. The investigation involved covert intelligence techniques that traced him to Hubei province in China in June 2005. The diplomatic effort to bring him back to the UK was extensive, involving negotiations and cooperation between UK and Chinese officials.

Price was detained by Chinese police for six months before being handed over to Merseyside Police officers, who traveled to China in November to escort him back to Britain. Detective Inspector Steve Jones, who was part of the team involved in tracking Price, expressed optimism about the case setting a precedent for future extraditions from China to the UK. He stated, “There is no extradition treaty with China but there is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and we were hopeful that, with the co-operation of all member states, we could secure his extradition.”

Peter Davies, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre, commented on the significance of the conviction, saying, “Price’s conviction sends out a clear message to offenders that wherever they have fled, they are within reach of UK justice and will face it for crimes against children.”