The Great Sutton Paedophile, 59-year-old Mark Donaghey, has persisted in acquiring indecent photos, including those of the most egregious category, while under police bail as officers examined other indecent images discovered on his devices.
Mark Donaghey was previously incarcerated for 18 months in 2002 for attempted gross indecency with a minor. In 2005, he received a cumulative term of ten years for participating in sexual conduct in the presence of a child aged 13 or younger, in addition to committing acts that outraged public decency.
The defendant, residing on Elaine Close in Great Sutton, pleaded guilty to all charges and received an extended sentence at Chester Crown Court (convening at Chester Magistrates Court) on Tuesday, March 12. He is required to serve a minimum of two-thirds of a three-year custodial sentence, in addition to two years of extended licence.
A perpetual Sexual Harm Prevention Order was additionally enacted.
Following the sentencing, Cheshire Police expressed approval of the imposed sentence.
Tracy Earley, from the Sex Offender Management Unit, stated: “I commend the sentence imposed on Mark Donaghey, who had no alternative but to plead guilty after more than 8,000 instances of indecent material involving minors were found on various devices in his possession.”
“Even after his devices were seized, Mark Donaghey purchased replacement devices and continued to access the illicit materials despite being placed under investigation.
“In addition to his custodial sentence he has been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the rest of his life.
“It is important to note that these crimes are not victimless and I hope the result today shows we remain steadfast in 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.”
The case against Mark Donaghey started on Thursday, February 23, 2023, when officers from Ellesmere Port conducted a warrant at his home on Elaine Close, following information that revealed the internet IP address attributed to it was being used to access indecent content involving children.
During the search, officers seized several digital devices and Mark Donaghey was arrested. When interviewed, he answered “no comment” to all questions and was later bailed pending further investigation into the devices officers seized during the warrant.
It would later be revealed that Mark Donaghey’s devices seized during the raid contained 944 category A images of children, 840 category B images, 4097 category C images, five extreme images, 142 prohibited images and six category A videos of children. Category A is described as the most serious category of indecent image.
Whilst on bail, officers received further intelligence that Mark Donaghey’s internet IP address was again being used to access indecent images. In response to this, officers conducted a second warrant at his home on Monday, October 16, 2023.
Mark Donaghey was not present at the address at the time, but officers located and seized two laptops that would later be confirmed to contain a further 605 pieces of category A material, 459 category B, 916 category C and eight prohibited images.
The 59-year-old would be located the following day, on Tuesday, October 17, after officers attended an address linked to him and promptly arrested him.
During a subsequent interview Mark Donaghey admitted possession of indecent images which would be later found on his devices.
He was later charged with the offences, and upon appearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 30, he was left with no choice but to plead guilty to his offending.
To report a sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit https://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report.
Information can also be passed on anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.