DANIEL MASON FROM EMBAY STEALS GIRL'S IDENTITY IN DISTURBING FACEBOOK SEX CHAT SCANDAL

In a case that has raised serious concerns about the adequacy of current laws, Daniel Mason, a 34-year-old man from Embsay near Skipton, was involved in a disturbing series of criminal activities that targeted a 14-year-old schoolgirl. The incident came to light after Mason engaged in a sinister scheme to impersonate the young girl online, leading to a series of distressing events that have left her family deeply shaken.

According to court reports, Mason took photographs of the girl from her genuine social media profile and used these images to create a fake Facebook account. Under the false identity, he engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sending messages that suggested performing sexual acts in front of a child. Mason’s actions were calculated to conceal his true identity while exploiting the girl’s online presence for his own depraved purposes.

The police were alerted to Mason’s activities after concerns were raised about the nature of his communications. A search of his residence in Embsay, a village near Skipton, was conducted, leading to the seizure of two laptop computers. Investigators discovered that these devices contained numerous indecent images of children, including photographs of girls as young as 13, as well as extreme pornography depicting bestiality. The discovery of these images marked a significant escalation in the case, revealing Mason’s involvement in the possession and distribution of illegal material.

During the court proceedings, Mason pleaded guilty to ten charges, which included making and possessing indecent images of children and viewing extreme pornography. The material found on his computers included a disturbing video of a woman engaging in sexual acts with an animal. Despite his guilty plea, the case highlighted a troubling legal gap: Mason had not been charged with any offence related to the theft of the girl’s identity or the sexual exploitation of the minor through impersonation.

Prosecutor Duncan Ritchie explained that there was no specific offence under current law that covered Mason’s impersonation of the girl on Facebook for sexual purposes. The law was only broken when the indecent images were discovered, which led to his conviction. The schoolgirl, who was unaware of Mason’s actions, and her family, who were left distressed and upset, had no idea that Mason had been impersonating her online for such a prolonged period.

Judge Colin Burn expressed his concern over the case, describing Mason’s conduct as “sinister” and noting the potential risk posed to the girl. The judge highlighted that Mason had posed as the girl to send sexual texts and Skype messages, actions that could have had serious consequences had the victim or others been exposed to further harm. The judge also noted that Mason had downloaded the illegal images in 2008 and continued to access such material as recently as May 2011, indicating a long-standing pattern of offending.

In his defense, Mason’s barrister, Tina Landale, described her client as being deeply ashamed and troubled by his actions. She emphasized that Mason was estranged from his family and that his offending was out of character, suggesting that his behavior had blighted his life and the lives of those around him.

As part of his sentence, Judge Burn ordered Mason to attend an accredited sex offender treatment program, sign the sex offenders’ register for five years, and comply with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order designed to protect children from future harm. Additionally, Mason was ordered to pay costs amounting to £1,000. The judge also expressed regret that the most serious aspect of the case—the theft of the girl’s identity—had not resulted in a criminal charge, calling for legislative changes to address such gaps in the law and better protect victims in similar situations.