Serial sex offender caught with 47,000 extreme images of kids jailed for 10 years

A twisted paedophile caught with nearly 50,000 child abuse images and videos has been jailed. Daniel Tunney was sentenced to 10 years after appearing in court for his wicked crimes.

The 42-year-old – described as a prolific sex offender – had a gigantic stash of indecent pictures and videos on his devices which underwent digital forensic analysis.

These included at least 603 category A images – the most serious – 240 category A videos, 735 category B images, 40 category B videos, 46,045 category C images, and 13 category C videos.

He was also found in possession of 104 images and 36 videos of extreme pornography. A further 72,659 images and videos remain uncategorised.

Tunney, of Manor Way, Crewe, appeared at Chester Crown Court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children (IIOC) and breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). The case against him began in September 2024, after Cheshire Police received intelligence that Tunney had been engaging with indecent images of children online.

As a result, officers from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team conducted a warrant at his address on September 24. As part of his sex offender registration conditions, Tunney is required to notify police of any digital devices he owns or has access to.

During the warrant and a subsequent search of his address, Tunney was arrested, and officers seized three unregistered digital devices – a mobile phone, a hard drive, and a memory card.

When interviewed, Tunney answered “no comment” to all questions, but was charged with the offences regardless due to the amount of evidence gathered against him.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Nathanael Johnston said: “Tunney is a prolific sex offender who posed a significant risk to children. During our investigation, we found that he was in possession of more than 90,000 indecent images of child sexual abuse. Through the work of our officers, we were able to quickly bring him to justice and he is now facing the consequences of his actions behind bars.”

Detective Constable Meg Griffiths, of the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “It is important to note that these crimes are not victimless, and as this case demonstrates, we are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual exploitation and play a part in the sexual abuse of children in Cheshire and beyond.”

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Image Credits and Reference: https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/serial-sex-offender-caught-47000-9841446