DANIEL STANCU FROM DARLASTON ESCAPES JAIL AFTER VIEWING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

A young man from Darlaston, Daniel Stancu, who was found to possess nearly 1,000 disturbing images and videos depicting child abuse, has been released from court without a custodial sentence. The case highlights the disturbing nature of his offenses and the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

Stancu, who is now 24 years old, first began viewing these heinous images when he was just 15 years old. Over the course of nearly seven years, he accumulated a significant collection of illicit content, which included videos and photographs of children being sexually abused. His online activity extended to searching for child pornography on a Russian website, indicating a persistent interest in such material.

The police investigation was triggered after authorities discovered an Instagram account allegedly uploading indecent images of children. This led them to Stancu’s residence in Darlaston, where he was confronted and subsequently admitted to possessing indecent images. During the police interview, he claimed that his intent was to 'catch' paedophiles, a statement that was met with skepticism by the authorities.

When Stancu handed over his mobile phone and PIN code, law enforcement officials uncovered a total of 965 indecent images of children aged between one and 17 years old. Prosecutor Olivia Appleby revealed that out of these, 390 images were classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe level of child exploitation material. The evidence showed that some of these images were stored in a hidden folder, while others had been deleted on the day of his arrest, suggesting an attempt to conceal his activities.

Further searches revealed that Stancu had also made inquiries on a Russian photo hosting site related to child pornography. However, there have been no charges brought against him for uploading images to Instagram, despite the initial investigation into the account.

During the court proceedings, defense lawyer Carl Templar-Vasey described his client as someone who has faced 'some difficulties.' He explained that Stancu spends most of his time alone, engaged in gaming and listening to music, implying a degree of social isolation.

Judge Michael Chambers KC addressed the court, describing Stancu’s lifestyle as one of 'isolation' and emphasizing the serious harm caused to victims involved in the creation of such illicit images. The judge pointed out that Stancu’s offending began at age 15 and that he was arrested in 2022. The court noted the disturbing nature of his possession of these images over such a long period.

Stancu, residing on Chafery Drive in Darlaston, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, covering the period from July 2015 to April 2022. Instead of a custodial sentence, he was given a two-year community order and ordered to complete 40 days of rehabilitation activities. Additionally, he is required to sign the sex offenders register for five years and is subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, aimed at monitoring and restricting his future conduct.