STUART MCNEIL OF ELLESMERE PORT SHOCKS COMMUNITY WITH CHILD ABUSE REVELATIONS

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the Ellesmere Port community, Stuart McNeil, a 39-year-old former children's basketball coach, has been exposed as a convicted paedophile involved in the possession and distribution of horrific child abuse material. McNeil, who once carried the Paralympic torch during the London 2012 Games, was branded as 'an offender of particular concern' by a judge after a series of heinous crimes came to light.

McNeil's background includes coaching roles with the Cheshire Junior Jets, Warrington Collegiate, and the University of Chester basketball teams. Despite his involvement in sports and his role as a Paralympic torchbearer, his criminal activities starkly contrast his public persona. Born with spina bifida, McNeil's participation in the 2012 Paralympic torch relay in Ellesmere Port was a notable highlight of his life before his criminal conduct was uncovered.

The court proceedings revealed that McNeil was involved in online chats that discussed the sexual abuse of children in the most depraved terms. The police investigation was initiated after an undercover officer posed as a man living with his pregnant girlfriend in July 2019. The officer joined a messaging group called 'babys,' which comprised 23 members, and soon engaged in private conversations with McNeil. Prosecutor David Polglase explained that the conversation quickly turned to disturbing fantasies about sexually abusing the officer's future child, with McNeil explicitly asking if he planned to 'start early' with his own baby.

Further into the chat, McNeil sent a Category B indecent photograph of a nine-month-old girl and requested the officer to send a picture of his unborn child. The conversation escalated when McNeil shared a Category A film depicting a seven-year-old boy and discussed how the officer should begin abusing his child once born. On July 22, 2019, McNeil went further by sharing a video of a child being raped and then directly sent this to the undercover officer. The officer responded by sending a photo of his supposed newborn girl, prompting McNeil to inquire whether he had already abused her, and the conversation included suggestions of meeting up to carry out abuse together.

Although no concrete plans were made, the court heard that McNeil discussed other graphic intentions and encouraged the officer to commit acts of abuse. He also shared images of children aged between 12 months and 11 years being raped. The police acted swiftly, raiding McNeil's home on August 8, 2019, in Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, and seizing multiple electronic devices. During the search, authorities discovered a collection of disturbing images and videos, including 368 Category A images and 56 videos, 329 Category B images and 15 videos, and 604 Category C images with 13 videos. An officer examining these materials described them as some of the worst he had encountered in his 18 years of experience.

Further investigation revealed that McNeil was communicating with others on the same messaging app, discussing child abuse and participating in multiple groups dedicated to such content. He was arrested while in Stockport with the England U15 basketball team, where police located him based on intelligence that he was at that location.

McNeil admitted to multiple charges, including three counts of downloading indecent images, one count of possessing such images, three counts of distributing indecent images, possessing prohibited images and extreme pornography, as well as encouraging and inciting child sexual abuse. His defense acknowledged the disturbing nature of the material involved.

Judge Byrne sentenced McNeil to two and a half years in prison, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. The judge stated that each image and video represented a victim of sexual abuse and that McNeil's actions fueled the market for such material. Additionally, McNeil was ordered to adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for six years and to register as a sex offender for life, underscoring the serious consequences of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.