NORTH CUMBRIAN MAN JAILED FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION AFTER POLICE STING
A depraved man from the Irthington area near Brampton, Daniel Wealands, 43, was caught in an undercover police operation after revealing disturbing sexual fantasies involving children to an online contact, who was actually a police officer.Wealands admitted to 16 criminal offences in Carlisle Crown Court, including making indecent images of children—three in the most serious Category A, 19 in Category B, and 50 in Category C—as well as distributing these images and inciting minors to engage in sexual activities.
He also faced charges of voyeurism, having secretly obtained images of individuals for sexual gratification.
Prosecutor Lucy Todd detailed how Wealands visited numerous pornography sites linked to paedophilia, with over 2,000 visits to one particular website, during which he expressed a desire to see a ten-year-old girl naked after viewing her picture.
The police managed to trace him via his IP address, leading to a raid on his home.
Evidence uncovered showed that he possessed Category A images featuring girls as young as ten, including one depicting a girl being raped while tied to a bed.
Victims of his voyeurism reported suffering from sleep disturbances and panic attacks, with some affected daily by what happened.
Defense lawyer Jeff Smith stated that Wealands was remorseful and had sought help after his arrest, claiming he was genuinely sorry.
However, Judge Nicholas Barker described his sexual interest as ‘obsessive’ and highlighted the profound impact on his victims, noting he had engaged in grooming behavior and that it would take years for the victims to recover.
The court sentenced Wealands to five years and four months in prison, with him subject to an indefinite registration as a sex offender and a sexual harm prevention order.
