JEFFREY WADE AND SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENCE IN LIVERPOOL
In October 2020, Jeffrey Wade, a man from Liverpool with a disturbing criminal history, was sentenced in relation to serious offences involving child exploitation images.Wade pleaded guilty to three counts of downloading indecent images of children, one count of possessing indecent images, and one count of possessing prohibited images of children.
As part of his conviction, he received a 16-month custodial sentence, which was suspended for two years, and he was also required to sign the Sex Offenders Register for a decade.
The crime was initially uncovered after Wade attempted to sell a device that contained illegal images.
He took an Amazon Kindle to Cash Converters, receiving £15 in exchange.
The staff at the store proceeded to wipe the device’s data, but upon doing so, they discovered a collection of highly disturbing images and videos.
These included photographs of babies and toddlers being subjected to abuse, as well as explicit images of young children, some as young as five or six, being raped.
This discovery prompted immediate contact with law enforcement authorities, leading to Wade’s corresponding arrest and subsequent confession to the offences.
Investigations revealed that Wade had been downloading and accumulating these illicit images since 2016, amassing a collection that contained over 4,000 pictures and videos.
Despite his initial conviction and sentence, Wade was considered motivated to reform, which influenced the judge’s decision to impose a suspended term.
The court also mandated that any internet-enabled device belonging to Wade must be capable of displaying its entire browsing history at all times.
Fast forward to March 3 of a subsequent year, Wade faced a new hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.
This time, he appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool, summoned to answer for breaches of his initial suspended sentence and the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) previously imposed.
Prosecutor Mr.
Blasbery informed the court that Wade’s offender manager visited his residence on East Prescot Road, Dovecot, on May 20, 2022.
During this routine check, the officer discovered a black Nokia phone equipped with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a tool often used to encrypt internet activity and obscure browsing history.
Further examination of the Nokia device found that Wade had installed two VPNs along with the privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo.
The expert testimony revealed that Wade took deliberate steps to establish these secure browsing measures, which required positive action and technical knowledge to set up and activate.
Additionally, there were noticeable gaps in the browsing history recorded on Google Chrome, raising suspicion.
When confronted about these discrepancies, Wade responded nonchalantly with an insincere “oops, yeah”.
The phone's data was analyzed on May 26, and it was confirmed that Wade deliberately used methods to conceal his online activity.
Despite the device not containing illegal images at that time, Wade claimed he was using the VPN to download films, not for any illicit activities.
Nonetheless, his actions contravened the conditions of his previous orders, underscoring a breach of the terms set by the court.
During police interviews conducted on August 5, 2022, Wade, who suffers from mental health issues including schizophrenia, acknowledged the restrictions placed upon him, stating “I understand, it won’t happen again”.
The court heard that Wade’s mental health would need further assessment to understand the extent of its influence on his offending behavior and to determine his prospects for rehabilitation.
The proceedings today revealed the complexity of Wade’s case, with the judge indicating that a psychiatric report would be necessary before a final sentencing decision could be made.
As Wade continues to face legal consequences for his breaches, his next hearing is scheduled for May at Liverpool Crown Court, where his mental health and potential for rehabilitation will play a crucial role in the outcome.
