A Wallsend man, Daniel Lee, has been convicted after a National Crime Agency investigation revealed he utilised social media to transmit explicit communications and solicit indecent photos from minors.
Daniel Lee, 29, utilised several social media platforms to transmit over 60,000 messages across 2,405 discussions in order to get indecent photographs of minors through interactions with victims.
NCA officers retrieved a total of 97 Category A, 94 Category B, and 215 Category C photos and videos from his device.
Nine child victims, both male and female, from the UK were identified, aged between 13 and 16 at the time of the offences.
A 14-year-old girl informed Daniel Lee of her age during a conversation, nevertheless he persisted in exchanging sexually explicit messages through social media and voice notes.
In another, Daniel Lee asked the age of his victim and continued to ask for indecent images after he was told she was 15.
Daniel Lee also deliberately used a false profile image on his accounts, telling one 14-year-old victim that he was 16 and sending her £20 during the course of the conversation to encourage sexually explicit messages. Lee swapped more than 4000 messages with this victim alone.
When searching Lee’s phone, officers found that Daniel Lee had also messaged a number of accounts asking if they were selling sexual content. Numerous messages indicated he wanted to pay for images, videos or live ‘sessions’ but had no money to pay.
Daniel Lee was arrested at his home in August 2022. On arrest, he told NCA officers “I hold my hands up to it, I should never have done it”. He went on to provide a no comment interview.
He was charged with 45 offences including inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity involving penetration, sexual communication with a child and making and distributing indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty to all the offences at Newcastle Crown Court in July 2024.
Daniel Lee was jailed for four years and five months at the same court today. He will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.
Danielle Pownall from the National Crime Agency said: “The NCA is committed to protecting children and bringing those who seek this material out to justice.
“Daniel Lee was a prolific offender, targeting children on social media sites and soliciting illegal images from them for his own gratification.
“We uncovered tens of thousands of messages on Lee’s device, both to his victims and to other accounts to request sexual content. He preyed on vulnerable children to continue his offending.”
Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Daniel Lee made a number of different accounts with false personas, for the predatory purpose of targeting children online and obtaining sexual images of them.
“His offending has affected dozens of children, who were manipulated and exploited, all for his own sexual gratification.
“The CPS will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue justice for victims and prosecuting those who engage in online child sexual abuse.”
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