Shai O'Brien - Convicted Sex Offender from Shildon

Shai O'Brien

22, Male Custodial - 8m 2022-01-28

Shildon, County Durham

Offender ID: 76644437-726d-4c39-a333-173613edb8b2

Offence Summary

Shai O'Brien, a 22-year-old from Shildon, County Durham, was jailed for possessing over 2,000 indecent images of children, including category A images of children as young as one year old, which were found on his mobile phone during a police raid.

Full Description

An 'isolated' paedophile from County Durham, Shai O'Brien, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after police discovered a vast collection of indecent images of children on his mobile phone. The 22-year-old, who resides on Main Street in Shildon, pleaded guilty to making indecent images at Durham Crown Court.

The case came to light following a police warrant executed at O'Brien's home on 23 May 2020. Officers seized several electronic devices, including his mobile phone, which upon examination revealed 233 category A images, 297 category B images, and 1,489 category C indecent images of children. These images, depicting children aged between one and 17 years old, had been uploaded between 2014 and 2020. Additionally, over 300 images were found stored in a Dropbox account, and mobile phone messages indicated that O'Brien had been communicating with others about sharing indecent images.

Prosecutor Katy Rafter detailed the horrific nature of the material during the court hearing on Friday, 28 January 2022. In his police interview, O'Brien denied being aroused by the images, claiming he was 'disgusted' by them. However, the court heard no evidence to support this assertion.

In mitigation, defence barrister Chris Baker highlighted O'Brien's isolated lifestyle, depression, naivety, and difficulties with social interaction. He noted that O'Brien was 'terrified' of an immediate custodial sentence and had entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Ray Singh described the offences as 'serious', pointing to the 'significant number of category A images' and O'Brien's 'little appreciation' of his wrongdoing. Alongside the eight-month prison term, O'Brien was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

The sentencing was reported by Chronicle Live, based on proceedings at Durham Crown Court. This case underscores ongoing efforts by Durham Constabulary to combat child sexual exploitation through device seizures and digital forensics.

Location

City: Shildon

County: County Durham

Address: Main Street

Case Details

Police Force: Durham Constabulary

Sentence Length: 8 months (Custodial)

Expected Release: May 2022
Guideline: ~75% served for ≥4 years, ~50% otherwise. Estimates only.

Full Sentence End: September 2022
If served in full. Estimates only.

Name heritage (predicted origin)

Country: Ireland

Confidence: 60%

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Durham Constabulary 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: chroniclelive.co.uk

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