DAYLE SMITH FROM SHAWFORTH AND WHALLEY CAUGHT WITH EXTREME CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND SECTIONED UNDER MENTAL HEALTH ACT

In a series of disturbing incidents, Dayle Smith, a resident of Shawforth and Whalley, has been at the center of serious criminal investigations involving the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The gravity of his offenses has led to multiple court hearings, mental health interventions, and legal sanctions.

In November 2017, Burnley Crown Court heard that police officers had visited Smith’s residence in June of that year to investigate allegations related to digital devices capable of hiding or deleting internet activity. During this visit, Smith, then living in Shawforth on Market Street, was questioned about his possession of such devices. Despite having the opportunity to disclose the presence of a laptop, he denied owning one. However, subsequent investigations revealed that he was in possession of a laptop containing a staggering 913 indecent images of children. This device was later recovered from a friend’s house in October, confirming Smith’s involvement.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker emphasized that Smith had the device in his possession during the police visit but chose not to disclose it. The police later located the laptop at another address, which was a clear breach of trust and legal obligation. The court was informed that just one week after the police inquiry, Smith was subject to a sexual harm prevention order issued by Judge Beverley Lunt. This order explicitly prohibited him from possessing any devices capable of hiding or deleting internet history.

Despite this restriction, Smith was found to have stored and viewed an extensive collection of illegal images. The court revealed that he possessed 272 Category A images, which are classified as the most severe, along with 227 Category B images and an alarming 1,940 Category C images. Additionally, he had 13 videos, six of which were in Category A. These findings underscored the severity of his offenses and the danger he posed.

Following the discovery, Smith was detained under the Mental Health Act, as he had previously told police that he “found the images disgusting but that the voices in his mind told him to do it.” During the court proceedings, it was noted that Smith was a patient at Calderstones Hospital, where he remained during the period between the police visit and the discovery of the laptop. This meant he could not have been in possession of the images during the time he was subject to the five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Smith ultimately pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children. Judge Sara Dodd sentenced him to a six-month conditional discharge and ordered him to register as a sex offender for five years. The judge expressed hope that this ruling would bring closure to the case, stating, “I hope this now brings all of these matters to an end and you can continue being looked after where you are. In relation to each of the charges I am dealing with, I will make you subject of a six-month conditional discharge which will run concurrently. That means providing you don’t commit any further offences in the next six months, this will be the end of these matters.”

Earlier, in August 2017, Smith was already under scrutiny as a registered sex offender when authorities found him with over 2,400 indecent images of children. This incident led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. The police had attended his Shawforth home as part of a risk management process following his previous conviction. During the search, officers discovered conversations on his tablet device involving girls who appeared to be under 18. Smith initially claimed he had a broken phone he had thrown away but later allowed his mother to retrieve and hand over the device to police, acknowledging that he had tried to delete indecent images from his phone.

Throughout the investigation, Smith maintained that he did not have a sexual desire for children and that he was influenced by voices in his mind. He admitted to downloading images from social media messaging and to sharing pictures of abused children with others online. Despite his claims of disgust, the court found his actions to be extremely serious, given the volume and nature of the images involved. Smith pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing indecent images and three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children. As a result, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act for an indefinite period to receive appropriate hospital treatment, reflecting the dangerous combination of his criminal behavior and mental health issues.