TASHAN GALLAGHER'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN WIGAN: CHILD RAPE AND ONLINE PAEDOPHILE CLUB
In a chilling series of crimes that have shocked the community of Wigan, Tashan Gallagher has been convicted of heinous acts involving the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, as well as his involvement in a disturbing online paedophile network.The details of his offenses reveal a pattern of depravity that spans over several months, with Gallagher actively filming and sharing videos of his abuse to gain acceptance into an exclusive and illegal online club for paedophiles.
According to court reports, Gallagher, a resident of Etherstone Street, Leigh, engaged in these criminal acts over a period of six months.
During this time, he recorded himself sexually assaulting very young children, including a baby just three months old.
These videos were then distributed to other members of the clandestine group via the encrypted messaging platform Telegram.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered these disturbing films during their investigation, which ultimately led to Gallagher’s arrest in October of the previous year.
Prosecutor Juliet Berry addressed the court, stating, “He claimed he did not have a sexual interest in children but derived gratification from communicating with others who did.” She further explained that Gallagher sought to join a paedophile organization that limited its membership to 1,000 individuals.
To gain entry, he was required to upload original videos depicting child abuse.
Gallagher’s actions included filming himself assaulting a three-month-old girl, then posting a 14-second clip before deleting the app used for sharing.
Despite claiming remorse and deleting the app, he later re-uploaded the same footage to rejoin the group, and subsequently uploaded more videos involving the same baby and a two-year-old boy on three additional occasions.
Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Gallagher to 14 years in prison, with an additional year on license.
During the sentencing, the judge remarked, “It is rare to have the maker of indecent images in court.
Words to describe the vile nature of this offending are wholly inadequate.” He also expressed concern that, despite efforts by law enforcement, these “repugnant” videos continue to circulate globally, accessible to other paedophiles for download, viewing, and sharing.
Members of the children’s family were visibly distressed, sobbing in the courtroom as the details of Gallagher’s crimes were read out.
In a victim impact statement, the mother of the children said, “I was absolutely shocked and devastated when I found out what he had been doing.
I don’t think I will ever get over this.” Judge Stead emphasized that the mother should not be blamed for her children’s suffering, stating, “Nothing I have read in this case suggests to me that the mother of the children is in any way to blame for what happened.” Gallagher admitted to his guilt during the proceedings.
However, further investigations by the NCA, in collaboration with American authorities, uncovered a fifth video uploaded by Gallagher, which contributed to his charges.
In total, Gallagher, who is currently detained at HMP Manchester, pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including rape, three counts of sexual assault, one of assault by penetration, five counts of making indecent images, two of distributing indecent images of children, and two of possessing indecent images.
Earlier in January 2019, Gallagher also admitted to sexually abusing a boy under the age of three, photographing the abuse, and distributing the images.
He appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to charges of sexual touching, creating pseudo-photographs of child abuse, and distribution.
His sentencing is scheduled for February 1 in Bolton, where the full extent of his crimes will be formally addressed.
