Adam Shine 25

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Met officers acted swiftly on information provided by the National Crime Agency to safeguard children and arrest a Hackney man who has been jailed at the Old Bailey.

Information was passed to the Met by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which led to the arrest of Adam Shine, 25 (7.5.99) at his home in Digby Road, Hackney on 6 February.

PC Lindsey Luscombe, of the Met’s Online Child Sex Abuse Investigation Team, policing Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “The information provided by the NCA linked Shine to indecent images of children.

“While reviewing his phone, officers quickly identified that Shine had used the Omegle website for three separate video calls with two 11-year-old girls and an 8-year-old girl in April 2023. On each call, Shine masturbated on camera and encouraged the girls to expose or touch themselves sexually.

“Met officers used clues in the videos, which had been recorded and retained by Shine, to locate and safeguard an 11-year-old child in the UK.

“In addition to his custodial sentence, Shine also received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Along with the requirement for him to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely, this will help to protect other children after he has served his prison sentence.”

Despite extensive efforts, the two other children, believed to be in the United States, have not been identified, in part because of the limited information provided by Omegle which shut down in November 2023. Information has been passed to American authorities.

Anyone with information about similar offending, whether it happened recently or not, is encouraged to report to police by calling 101 or online. To remain anonymous, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers.

Shine, who worked at an adult store in central London, pleaded guilty on 3 March at the Old Bailey to engaging in sexual communications with the three children as well as causing them to engage in sexual activity, He also pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the (online) presence of the children. He did not meet any of the victims in person.

He was sentenced at the same court on Friday, 14 June, to four and a half years’ imprisonment.