Dark web paedophile jailed for 23 years after forensic experts identified his hands in horrific images
“This sentence is testament to the skill and unwavering dedication of investigators.”
A paedophile has been jailed for 23 years after being caught by a photo of his knuckles in “horrific” sex abuse images he posted on the “dark web”.
Darren Welsby, 48, who preyed on six different youngsters, was identified as a child sex abuser after uploading images to the dark web with the username, “wellhnug” (corr) and also using the same name to upload images of himself wearing women’s lingerie on an adult pornography website.
Detectives pin-pointed visual similarities between some of the images of the defendant and those of the man committing the rape and sexual assault of a child on the “dark web” – the hidden part of the internet, not accessible by standard search engines.
And prosecutors also sought expert opinion from a forensic anthropologist, comparing the images, who was able to conclude that both were taken with exactly the same specific device.
In what has been called a “landmark” case, it is one of the first of its kind where this technique was deployed when the offending device was no longer available – as the sexual abuse images were taken around six to eight years before Welsby’s arrest and the device since destroyed.
On July 10 earlier this year, following a two week trial at Manchester Crown Court, a jury convicted Welsby of 18 offences, including rape of a girl under 13, causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching, a number of indecent images of children offences and possession of extreme pornographic images.
Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Darren Welsby has been imprisoned for sexually abusing children, including the rape of a girl under 13. He took images of some of these terrible crimes.
“This was a landmark case as the expert digital forensic evidence proved that those images were taken on the same device as other images, known to have been taken on one of Welsby’s phones.
“Another expert report confirmed that the hands shown in some of the images were Welsby, by comparing them to photos of his knuckles.
“This has been a complex and challenging case due to the unique evidence needed to bring Welsby to justice. It would not have been possible without the comprehensive investigation undertaken by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
An NCA investigation was begun in 2020, when officers examined three sets of child abuse images which had been uploaded to an Interpol database.
Welsby was arrested by NCA officers at Manchester Airport in August 2020, and his phone was seized.
His former address, also in Wythenshawe, was searched and 58 exhibits were seized, including 10 digital devices containing more than 30,000 indecent images of children, dating back to 2005.
Amongst these were photographs and videos taken by Welsby, where he had captured his offending, including the rape and sexual assault of a child.
He was found with 4,700 category A images (the most serious), 4,500 category B images, 24,000 category C images and 18 extreme pornographic images depicting bestiality.
In addition to rape and sexual assault offences, Welsby took indecent photographs of children without their knowledge, and caused some to engage in sexual activity, which he also captured.
NCA senior manager Jen Cruickshank said: “Darren Welsby is a predatory sexual offender who inflicted the most horrific sexual abuse against children, some as young as six, over a period of eight years.
“It is impossible to imagine the trauma they suffered as a result of these monstrous crimes, and the emotional scars they’ve been left with.
“Our investigation was painstaking and time-consuming; utilising innovative forensic techniques to identify Welsby, who attempted to hide his offending by using the dark web.
“This comprehensive investigation ensured that necessary evidence was secured to bring him to justice.
“This sentence is testament to the skill and unwavering dedication of investigators in the NCA and we will continue to pursue dangerous offenders like Welsby, who prey on those who are vulnerable, to protect children from sexual abuse.”