THE painstaking detective work which brought perverted radio DJ to justice has been praised by a judge.
Mark Page was jailed for 12-years for systematically abusing children when he travelled to the Far East.
The former Radio 1 DJ and Middlesbrough FC match day announcer was brought to justice after concerns were raised about his online activities.
Following a raid on his home in January 2020, a number of sexually explicit messages were recovered by officers.
Forensic analysis of his computer system, mobile phone, and digital tablet, resulted in officers being able to piece together the 63-year-old’s depraved actions.
Two years after Page was initially arrested he was found guilty of four charges of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence between August 2016, and April 2019. He was cleared of a fifth charge.
Paul Watson QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, praised the dedication of the officers involved in the case after he sentenced Page at Teesside Crown Court.
“It’s clear that the officers have engage in a huge amount of detective work, in my judgement of the highest calibre, in order to research this case and pull it together to enable it to be presented in clear form to the jury,” he said.
Page’s internet history showed details of numerous online conversations he had made with the underage girl and revealed details of payments made using his credit card to accounts in the Far East.
In a series of explicit messages before his arrival and after he stayed at a hotel in the Makati area, Page asked the girl to arrange for him to have sex with a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy.
The court heard how payments made from Page’s credit card showed the cash had been sent to an account based in the Philippines.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Kevin Carter, from Cleveland Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: “As a result of our investigation we were able to safeguard children so they are no longer at risk of abuse.
“Indeed, I believe this sentence means the children of the Philippines will be that bit safer, not just because Page is starting a prison sentence, but because others intent on causing children harm in this part of the world may now think twice.
“Page attempted to distract the court from the awful truth of his actions. He refused to accept responsibility, attempting instead to lay blame on everyone but himself.
“I would like to thank the jury for their professionalism while considering a large amount of complex digital evidence.
“The court heard how Page attempted to present himself as a respectable and credible individual, yet his actions betrayed the trust and confidence of many people, not least his family and close friends.”
Throughout the trial Page, of Snowdrop Close, Stockton, maintained that his online accounts had been hacked as someone tried to ‘frame’ him for the sex crimes.
The 63-year-old was sentenced to a total of 12-years in custody and was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Page used online platforms to arrange access to vulnerable children in the Philippines and then travelled thousands of miles to sexually abuse them.
“His jail sentence sends out a warning to all those who think that going overseas will enable them to hide the terrible crimes they seek to commit.
“This awful case also highlights why it is crucial that the Online Safety Bill compels tech companies to proactively tackle how offenders are organising and carrying out child sexual abuse on their sites.”
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111. Adults with concerns about the wellbeing of a child can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk
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