Cheshire Mechanic Jailed for Running Sick Dark Web Child Abuse Sites
A 28-year-old Cheshire mechanic who secretly ran and moderated vile child sexual abuse platforms on the dark web has been locked up for 16 years.
Dark Web Horror: The Annex’s Sinister Empire
Nathan Bake (pictured), identified by the National Crime Agency (NCA), was a key figure behind ‘The Annex’—a now-shuttered dark web hub with around 90,000 members worldwide. The site was infamous for sharing the most extreme abuse content, including “hurtcore” and horrific sexual abuse of babies and toddlers.
Bake was the site’s head moderator and second-in-command under an American ringleader who received a life sentence in the US earlier this year. Bake managed around 30 covert staff and worked alongside them to enforce brutal site rules, ensuring the platform stayed active.
Fellow Moderators and Sinister Recruitment
Two fellow UK moderators—Kabir Garg, a London psychiatrist, and another man from Eastbourne—sat just below Bake in the leadership. Both face sentencing soon, with Garg already jailed for six years for related offences.
Newcomers to The Annex had to prove themselves by sharing abuse content in a ‘gateway’ area before gaining full access. Bake and his team habitually gave members tips on dodging law enforcement and kept the site ‘busy’ by pushing fresh child abuse material.
In one chilling post recovered by the NCA, Bake urged members: “Come on people, show us what you’ve got for HAPPY HOUR. Show us the boys and girls that turn you on the most.”
Baked Caught Red-Handed
Bake was busted at his Runcorn home in November 2022. Officers seized multiple devices, including laptops running the TOR browser with indecent images still visible on screen. Evidence confirmed he co-created another child abuse site and ran a dark web directory linking further vile forums.
Hundreds of thousands of indecent images and videos, plus a 576-page paedophile manual, were recovered from his stash.
In November 2023, Bake pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including facilitating child sexual exploitation, involvement in organised crime, possession of a paedophile manual, and distributing indecent images. He was sentenced today at Chester Crown Court to 16 years behind bars, placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and slapped with a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
National Crime Agency Cracks Down Worldwide
The NCA, working alongside international partners, has charged 14 other men linked to The Annex, with eight receiving sentences between six and 28 years.
Daniel Waywell, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA, said:
“Bake was essential in keeping The Annex running and facilitating child sexual abuse globally. He rose through the ranks by actively sharing horrific material and encouraging discussions. Even while working as a mechanic, he dedicated time to setting up other dark web sites aiding abuse.”
“Sites like these openly encourage sexual offences against children. But users thinking anonymity protects them are wrong. The NCA has the power and determination to hunt down those using the dark web to harm children, working closely with international partners to bring offenders to justice.”
