David Chellapah

David Chellapah

31, Male Custodial - 10y 2026-05-22

Offender ID: 38ee07f4-cf6a-488c-94ae-27e0be9c0643

Offence Summary

A 31-year-old man who was jailed for 10 years after pleading guilty to 21 offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children.

Full Description

David Chellapah, aged 31, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 22 May 2026 after pleading guilty to 21 offences relating to the online sexual exploitation of children.

The offences, which took place between August and October 2025, came to light after police received intelligence that Chellapah was communicating with a child and attempting to arrange a meeting in order to sexually abuse them. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Central Specialist Crime Command, Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) team acted swiftly, intercepting and arresting him on Friday, 17 October 2025 when he attended a pre-arranged meeting with a child to sexually abuse them.

Extensive digital forensic analysis of Chellapah's mobile phone and other devices revealed he had been targeting multiple children aged between 12 and 15 across social media platforms. He engaged in sustained grooming behaviour, sending sexual messages, inciting children to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to arrange further meetings. Officers identified multiple victims through communications recovered during the investigation, with some children subjected to coercion and pressure to produce sexual images and videos.

Searches of Chellapah's home address led to the seizure of several digital devices, including a USB stick containing a significant volume of indecent images and videos of children. Some material involved very young children. His offences included sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a child following grooming, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and offences relating to the production and possession of indecent images of children.

DC Alan Stepkowski-Fellows from the Met's Central Specialist Crime Command said: "Chellapah showed clear and persistent predatory behaviour, targeting children online and attempting to escalate that contact into serious harm. Our officers acted quickly to intervene, prevent further offences and bring him before the courts."

Following a thorough investigation, Chellapah pleaded guilty to all counts in February 2026. The case was prosecuted by the Metropolitan Police.

Case Details

Police Force: Metropolitan Police

Sentence Length: 10 years (Custodial)

Expected Release: January 2033
Guideline: two-thirds served for sentences ≥4 years; half otherwise (England & Wales). Estimates only.

Full Sentence End: May 2036
If served in full. Estimates only.

Name heritage (predicted origin)

Country: Sri Lanka

Confidence: 72%

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Metropolitan Police for their tireless dedication in bringing this offender to justice. Your commitment and hard work truly help keep our communities safe, and we are deeply grateful.

Source: news.met.police.uk

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