FAILSWORTH SEXUAL PREDATOR STEVEN BLAKE SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ENCOURAGING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Failsworth, Steven Blake, a 37-year-old man, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after being found guilty of possessing and creating indecent images of children, as well as other related offenses involving extreme pornography. The investigation, carried out by a specialized unit within Greater Manchester Police, uncovered a disturbing collection of illicit material on Blake's electronic devices, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

Blake, who resides on Minor Street in Failsworth, Oldham, was charged with multiple serious offenses, including the production of indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children, possession of extreme pornographic images, and possession of prohibited images of minors. The police investigation revealed that Blake had been communicating with an undercover officer via the Kik messaging app, which ultimately resulted in his arrest and the seizure of his IT equipment. The police confirmed that during their search in March 2020, they discovered a total of 1,821 vile images on Blake's camera and computer hard drive, with 777 classified as the most severe Category A images.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provided further details, stating that Blake pleaded guilty to multiple charges. These included making indecent photographs of a child between January 1, 2008, and March 9, 2020, with 777 images falling into the most serious Category A, along with 507 images in Category B and 436 in Category C. Additionally, Blake admitted to possessing a prohibited image of a child, involving 42 images, and extreme pornography, involving 59 images, both on March 10, 2020. These guilty pleas were formally entered at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on May 11, 2021.

Further charges were brought against Blake on May 6 of this year, when he admitted to intentionally encouraging or assisting in the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, in violation of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The gravity of his offenses prompted a serious response from law enforcement and the judicial system.

Community members and concerned citizens were informed of the case through a post shared on Facebook by GMP Failsworth and Hollinwood. The police department stated, “A man from Failsworth has been jailed for possessing extreme pornographic images and making indecent images following an investigation by our Online Child Abuse Investigation Team.” They further explained that Blake was sentenced on Tuesday to 33 months in prison for multiple counts related to child exploitation and possession of illegal images. The police emphasized that the investigation was initiated after receiving information in March 2020, which led to the discovery of the illicit material on Blake’s devices and his subsequent arrest.