Southend: Officers use forensic techniques to unlock phone - securing evidence which sees sexual predator jailed

Indecent images of children were discovered on a rape suspect’s mobile phone following a thorough and complex investigation by our specialist officers.

On Tuesday 11 February Daniel Taylor was jailed for 20 years after admitting numerous serious sexual offences.

In April 2022 we received reports of rape and sexual assault involving two victims.

Forty-two year-old Taylor, of Outing Close, Southend, was arrested and questioned. He initially denied all the allegations put to him and refused to hand over the pin to his phone.

Tenacious officers used forensic techniques to access the phone and were able to download the contents after months of work.

It was clear why Taylor did not want to allow access to his phone as officers discovered 110,718 images and videos (including Category A, B and C), alongside evidence linking him to the rape allegations.

He was charged with 15 offences including five counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, two counts of indecent assault, three counts of possession of indecent images of children, one count of making indecent images of children and one count of distributing indecent images of children.

He continued to deny the charges, but the overwhelming evidence left him with little option and when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday 2 September 2024 he admitted to 12 offences with one charge of rape and two charges of indecent assault left to lie on file.

And at the same court he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but will remain on licence for 24 years. He was also placed on the sex offender’s register for life and is subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jane Grieve said:

"Taylor is an extremely dangerous sexual predator.
"Women and children are safer today now that he is behind bars. This sentence cannot undo the imaginable harm he has inflicted on his victims, but I hope it starts to help them on their road to recovery.
"I’m in awe of their unwavering strength throughout this extremely difficult investigation. Taylor preyed on vulnerable people.
"But by videoing some of his offending and storing indecent images he provided crucial evidence and, along with the survivors’ accounts, this secured his conviction.
"And as well as the two survivors of Taylor’s rapes, we should remember that behind every image on his phone is a child suffering.
"Essex Police is dedicated to supporting victims of all sexual violence and we are committed to working with them to secure the strongest evidence possible to ensure we can bring offenders like Taylor before the courts."

And our Police Online Investigation Team are at the forefront of disrupting and stopping online abuse.

Synergy Essex

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