Derby Man Caught Paying for Child Abuse Abroad
David Stevenson, 70, from Chaddesden, was nailed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in a sinister live-streaming child abuse probe. In May 2020, officers arrested him after uncovering evidence he paid people in the Philippines and Ghana to abuse children.
Filipino Woman Key to Investigation
The investigation linked Stevenson to a 32-year-old Filipino woman arrested in February 2020 for producing and possessing vile images of two children, aged six months and 10 years. She streamed abuse live online and was connected to footage showing a young girl performing sex acts.
The NCA seized three devices from Stevenson’s home. They found he’d made more than 200 payments totalling £5,500 between February 2018 and May 2020.
Dark Online Searches and Sickening Chats
Stevenson claimed he only dealt with adult women, mainly in the Philippines and Africa, denying any contact with kids. But forensic analysis told a different story. They uncovered 71 indecent images of children in categories A to C. Search history revealed vile terms like ‘nude Filipino schoolgirls’, ‘young petite sweeties’, and visits to sites called ‘teen sex galleries’ and ‘African teen’.
He even made sexually explicit comments about young girls during online chats. Despite admitting he regularly sent money to women in the Philippines and had an online relationship with one for 17 months, he denied viewing child abuse material. He claimed many sites were fantasy and contained images of adults posing as children.
Past Conviction and Breach of Orders
Back in January 2018, Stevenson was convicted of engaging in sexual communication with a child. He was slapped with a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a six-year Sex Offender Notification Requirement.
The NCA also found evidence he deleted files from his devices after his 2020 arrest — a clear SHPO breach. He was charged with six counts of making indecent images of children (IIOC), one count of possessing IIOC, and breaching his SHPO.
Punished for Sick Crimes
Stevenson pleaded guilty to all charges at Derby Magistrates’ Court on April 28. Today (September 26), Derby Crown Court sentenced him to 20 months in jail and slapped on a fresh seven-year SHPO.
NCA Operations Manager Graham Ellis said: “Stevenson believed he could abuse children thousands of miles away without getting caught. Live-streaming child abuse exploits vulnerable victims and poses a grave risk to children globally. The Philippines remains a hotspot for this crime. The NCA works closely with law enforcement there to bring offenders to justice and protect victims.”
The NCA partners with the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre to fight this horrific abuse.
