NATHAN CLARKE AND EMMA STEVENS SHOCKING CHILD SEX ABUSE CASE IN ESTON AND KEIGHLEY

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Eston and Keighley, two individuals have been brought to justice for heinous acts involving a child. The incident dates back to August 2019, when a woman, Emma Stevens, 23, from Eston, was coerced into performing a sexual act on a young child under the instructions of her online boyfriend, Nathan Clarke, 29, who hails from Keighley.

According to court proceedings, Clarke, who had never met Stevens in person, was actively involved in directing her to commit these acts. He had been communicating with her via WhatsApp, exchanging explicit images and messages that detailed the abuse. The court was shown evidence of Clarke sending sickening images of Stevens, who was forced to perform the sexual act, to her online partner. These messages revealed a disturbing level of coordination and intent between the two.

Emma Stevens pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. She also admitted to taking 17 indecent images of the abuse, four of which she subsequently sent to Clarke. Her actions have been described as part of a calculated effort to facilitate and share the abuse.

Nathan Clarke, on his part, admitted to inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and possessing a total of 67 indecent images of children. These images were found on two mobile phones and a laptop, all of which were seized during police investigations. Clarke’s online activity was traced back to his residence in Keighley, where authorities discovered the devices containing the illicit material.

The investigation revealed that Clarke and Stevens had been in regular contact for approximately four years, exchanging messages almost daily. Clarke, who was living in Spain at the time they began communicating, returned to Britain and rented a house on Braithwaite Road, Keighley. It was during this period that a landlady, upon inspecting the property, discovered the disturbing images stored on Clarke’s laptop. This discovery prompted police to act swiftly.

Law enforcement officials arrested Clarke, and subsequent searches uncovered numerous Category B and C abuse images on his Galaxy mobile, Xperia mobile, and Acer laptop. The evidence was overwhelming, leading to charges and subsequent court proceedings.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Deborah Sherwin expressed her condemnation of the defendants’ actions. She stated, “I’m satisfied from the messages that I have read that all of this activity was instigated by you, Mr. Clarke. It’s unlikely Ms. Stevens would have done this on her own accord.”

Both Clarke and Stevens received the same sentence: six years in prison. Additionally, they were ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life and were subject to a sexual harm prevention order, reflecting the seriousness of their crimes and the need for ongoing monitoring to protect the public from further harm.