JOSEPH SHANKS FROM CHORLEY AND WESTMEATH CAUGHT IN UK CHILD SEX STING

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online predators, Joseph Shanks, a man originally from County Westmeath, Ireland, was apprehended by UK police authorities in a carefully orchestrated sting operation. The incident unfolded in March 2018, revealing a sinister attempt by Shanks to engage in sexual activities with children he believed he had lured through internet communications.

Shanks, who was residing at the Church of Latter Day Saints missionary home in Chorley, Lancashire, claimed he was engaged in what he described as “charity work” and insisted that his actions were motivated by divine reward. However, the reality was far more disturbing. Unbeknownst to him, the woman he believed was the mother of three children was actually an undercover police officer operating under the alias “Sarah.”

According to reports, Shanks, aged 63 and a married father, arrived at the designated meeting point, Pease Pottage Services on the M23 in Kent, with the intention of carrying out sexual acts with what he thought were three children aged nine, six, and three. He was arrested before any abuse could occur, preventing a potential tragedy. Authorities found that he had arrived carrying a USB stick filled with thousands of images depicting child abuse, underscoring the severity of his criminal intent.

The police investigation revealed that Shanks had been in online contact with the undercover officer since October 2016. During their conversations, he used the alias “Andy Brown” and claimed to be a member of the army, as well as a volunteer for the Mormon church. When his mobile phone number proved ineffective, he resorted to calling from a landline registered to the Mormon Church’s missionary training center in Preston. His communications indicated a clear sexual interest in children, with Shanks explicitly expressing a desire to meet the children and even promising to bring KY jelly, some of which was later discovered in his vehicle.

Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson explained that the conversations between “Sarah” and “Andy Brown” made it evident that Shanks intended to facilitate sexual encounters with the three fictitious children, aged three, six, and nine, with the two youngest being girls and the oldest a boy. The online exchanges culminated in a scheduled meeting at Pease Pottage Services, where police officers were waiting to arrest him. The operation was successful, and Shanks was taken into custody before any harm could be inflicted.

During the court proceedings at Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Simon James addressed the gravity of Shanks’s actions. The judge emphasized that the defendant’s claims of doing “charitable work” were merely a cover for his twisted sexual fantasies. The court was shown evidence of the extensive collection of child abuse images found in his vehicle, including those depicting the rape of children as young as two years old. The judge made it clear that Shanks’s intentions were to act out these depraved fantasies, and he had no real knowledge that he was communicating with an undercover officer.

Shanks’s arrest and subsequent sentencing marked a significant step in protecting vulnerable children from online predators. His seven-year prison sentence was handed down after he admitted to ten sex-related charges, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the threat he posed to society. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by online grooming and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such heinous offenses.