Locations
Manor Way, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2
Description
A prolific offender found in possession of 90,000 images of child sexual abuse has been jailed for a decade. Daniel Tunney pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
An investigation was launched by Cheshire Police in September last year after they received intelligence that Tunney had been engaging with indecent images of children online. As a result, officers from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team conducted a search at his home.
As part of his sex offender registration conditions, Tunney is required to notify police of any digital devices he owns or has access to. During the search of his address, Tunney was arrested, and officers seized three unregistered digital devices - a mobile phone, a hard drive, and a memory card.
Following a digital forensic analysis of his devices, officers discovered Tunney was in possession of thousands of images and videos displaying child abuse, these included at least 603 category A images, 240 category A videos, 735 category B images, 40 category B videos, 46,045 category C images, and 13 category C videos.
He was also found in possession of 104 images and 36 videos of extreme pornography. A further 72,659 images and videos remain uncategorised.
Tunney, 42, of Manor Way, Crewe, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 3 January where he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
When interviewed, Tunney answered “no comment” to all questions, but was charged with the offences regardless due to the amount of evidence gathered against him. Tunney was left with no choice but to plead guilty.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Nathanael Johnston, said: “Tunney is a prolific sex offender who posed a significant risk to children. During our investigation, we found that he was in possession of more than 90,000 indecent images of child sexual abuse. Through the work of our officers, we were able to quickly bring him to justice and he is now facing the consequences of his actions behind bars.”
Detective Constable Meg Griffithes, of the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “It is important to note that these crimes are not victimless, and as this case demonstrates, we are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual exploitation and play a part in the sexual abuse of children in Cheshire and beyond."