.svg)
Darren Welsby, a 48-year-old man from Wythenshawe in South Manchester, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison after a National Crime Agency investigation established that he raped and sexually assaulted six children, some as young as six, over an eight-year period between 2012 and 2020. Welsby was convicted of all 18 offences he faced following a two-week trial at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, on 10 July, and was sentenced at the same court on 20 October 2026. The case, which Daily Dazzling Dawn understands relied on innovative forensic techniques to identify a perpetrator who sought anonymity on the dark web, marks a significant success for cross-border law enforcement collaboration.
The National Crime Agency's investigation commenced in 2020 when officers examined three sets of child abuse images that had been uploaded to an INTERPOL database. This international system allows law enforcement agencies to determine whether images are known to authorities or have been encountered previously anywhere in the world, supporting the identification of victims globally. Investigators found that Welsby had uploaded images to the dark web via The Onion Router, or TOR, using a username he employed across multiple platforms on both the dark and clear web. This offending was initially captured by investigators working within the Australian Federal Police and subsequently shared with law enforcement agencies via INTERPOL headquarters.
Welsby was arrested by NCA officers at Manchester Airport in August 2020, and his mobile phone was seized. His former address, also in Wythenshawe, was searched, and 58 exhibits were recovered, including ten digital devices containing over 30,000 indecent images of children dating back to 2005. Among these were photographs and videos taken by Welsby himself, capturing his offending, including the rape and sexual assault of a child. Officers recovered 4,700 category A images, the most serious classification, alongside 4,500 category B images, 24,000 category C images, and 18 extreme pornographic images depicting bestiality.
Under the same username used on the dark web, Welsby had posted self-taken intimate images of himself on an adult pornography site, posing naked or in female lingerie. Investigators identified visual similarities between the perpetrator in the child sexual abuse material and Welsby. The NCA instructed two forensic experts to determine whether the images were of Welsby and whether they had been taken on his devices. A forensic anthropologist compiled a report comparing photographs of the perpetrator in the abuse material to photographs of Welsby, including the intimate images he had taken himself and images captured while he was in custody. A second specialist digital forensic expert analysed the images to obtain data about the camera used. The work of both experts demonstrated that Welsby was responsible for the abuse and the imagery captured.
Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that the Crown Prosecution Service described the case as a landmark, as expert digital forensic evidence proved that the images were taken on the same device as other images known to have been taken on one of Welsby's phones. Another expert report confirmed that the hands shown in some of the images belonged to Welsby by comparing them to photographs of his knuckles.
Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Darren Welsby has been imprisoned for sexually abusing children, including the rape of a girl under 13. He took images of some of these terrible crimes. This was a landmark case as the expert digital forensic evidence proved that those images were taken on the same device as other images, known to have been taken on one of Welsby's phones. Another expert report confirmed that the hands shown in some of the images were Welsby, by comparing them to photos of his knuckles. This has been a complex and challenging case due to the unique evidence needed to bring Welsby to justice. It would not have been possible without the comprehensive investigation undertaken by the National Crime Agency. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to tackling child sexual abuse and to supporting victims through the criminal justice process."
NCA Senior Manager Jen Cruickshank said: "Darren Welsby is a predatory sexual offender who inflicted the most horrific sexual abuse against children, some as young as six, over a period of eight years. It is impossible to imagine the trauma they suffered as a result of these monstrous crimes, and the emotional scars they've been left with. Our investigation was painstaking and time-consuming; utilising innovative forensic techniques to identify Welsby, who attempted to hide his offending by using the dark web. This comprehensive investigation ensured that necessary evidence was secured to bring him to justice. This sentence is testament to the skill and unwavering dedication of investigators in the NCA and we will continue to pursue dangerous offenders like Welsby, who prey on those who are vulnerable, to protect children from sexual abuse."
The offences for which Welsby was convicted included rape of a girl under 13, causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching, a number of indecent images of children offences, and possession of extreme pornographic images. The National Crime Agency has confirmed that its investigation into Welsby's activities remains part of its wider commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse and pursuing offenders who seek to exploit vulnerable young people, whether through direct contact or the distribution of abusive material online.
