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lincs
Moderator
United Kingdom
625 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 02 2008 : 10:34:43
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The stepfather of Shannon Matthews has been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children, it was reported today.
Craig Meehan, 22, was today held by detectives probing the disappearance of the nine-year-old, who went missing for nearly four weeks.
West Yorkshire Police said the suspect, who they did not name, was detained after officers examined a number of computers during the search for Shannon.
Meehan lives with Shannon's mother Karen Matthews at Moorside Road in Dewsbury Moor.
Shannon disappeared on her way home from a school swimming trip on February 19.
She was found 24 days later at the house of Meehan's uncle in Batley Carr, a mile from her home.
Michael Donovan, 39, of Lidgate Gardens, Dewsbury, was later charged with Shannon's kidnapping and imprisonment.
His trial has been provisionally set for November 11 at Leeds Crown Court.
Hundreds of officers and 60 detectives were involved in the three week search for Shannon.
Shannon has not returned home since she was found.
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justagrannynow
Senior Correspondent
France
304 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2008 : 11:06:10
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OMG I hope he wasn't colluding with his uncle. I feel so sorry for Shannons father as he came across as a pretty decent bloke who went out searching for her every day.  |
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mog
Seasoned Reporter
United Kingdom
232 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2008 : 11:14:38
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This does not suprise me one bit. I am more suprised it has taken this long for it to happen.
Possibly the mother to be arrested next? |
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lincs
Moderator
United Kingdom
625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2008 : 16:30:15
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| I feel so sorry for Shannon and the other siblings, we cant choose our parents. |
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oxymoran
Managing Editor
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2008 : 01:16:09
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From http://oxymoran.blogspot.com
Who downloaded kiddy porn onto Shannon Matthew's Step-Dad's computer?
Just when we thought the Shannon Matthews story could get no more bizarre comes words that her stepfather, 22 year old Craig Meehan has been arrested for keeping a paedo's catalog of child porn on his computer. You may recall that a couple of days ago, Shannon's mother had been threatening to sue if she was not allowed access to her daughter. And before the Southern snobs in the mainstream media start suggesting condescendingly these are trumped up charges because "no way could Meehan know how to work a bloody computer," please remember these are very serious allegations.
Shannon Matthews's stepfather arrested for possession of child pornography
Last updated at 00:37am on 03.04.08
Craig Meehan has been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children
The stepfather of Shannon Matthews was arrested yesterday on suspicion of possessing hundreds of pornographic pictures of children on his computer.
Craig Meehan, 22, was being questioned by detectives last night after a detailed examination of the hard drive.
Meehan, a supermarket fishmonger who has lived with Shannon's mother Karen Matthews for five years, was led from the family home by three detectives.
After Shannon vanished without trace following a school swimming trip on February 19, Meehan has sat alongside Miss Matthews, 32, as they made countless public appeals for information.
In one of the largest police operations launched, hundreds of officers were brought in to search for Shannon.
She was found alive and well 24 days later, on March 14, curled up in the base of a divan bed in a two-bedroom flat owned by Meehan's uncle Michael Donovan, less than a mile away from her home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
Donovan, 39, was later charged with the kidnap and false imprisonment of the schoolgirl.
He is due to stand trial at Leeds Crown Court in November.
Last night a police source said that the pictures allegedly found on Meehan's computer are not believed to be of Shannon or any of his partner's other children.
Officers took away several black bags containing items from the family home in Moorside Road.
Shannon, nine, was missing for 24 days before she was found a mile from her home
The arrest came hours before Shannon's mother had been due to see her daughter for only the second time since the end of her ordeal.
Social services had spent the last week arranging the secret meeting at an undisclosed location but were forced to scrap the plans after the arrest.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "During inquiries by the Shannon Matthews investigation team, the contents of a number of computers have been examined.
"As a result of this work, we have arrested a 22-year-old man from the Dewsbury Moor area on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
"He is currently being questioned at a West Yorkshire Police station."
A police officer takes away bags from Meehan and Mrs Matthews's home today
Meehan is the father of one of Miss Matthews's seven children by five fathers.
After Shannon was found alive both Meehan and Miss Matthews were asked to supply DNA samples to police after Donovan implicated them in the disappearance.
In police interviews he even suggested that Miss Matthews's mother had known where she was all along.
Yesterday's dramatic events came 24 hours after Meehan told how he and the family were dealing with the stress of not having Shannon home.
He said: "I've been in to work a couple of times but I'm not back full time yet, Karen needs me here.
"The other kids are doing okay but obviously we all want to see Shannon come home."
Although an emergency protection order on Shannon has now been lifted, she is being cared for by a foster family and might not be allowed home for some time.
Child protection authorities are monitoring her care after her disappearance, and concerns remain about her "dysfunctional" family.
Detectives, meanwhile, are continuing to speak to Shannon about her ordeal and are doing so in 15-minute intervals because of the delicate nature of the questioning and her tender age.
Last night family friend Petra Jamieson, 30, urged others not to rush to judgment on Miss Matthews's partner.
Meehan with Shannon's mother Karen, last week. The couple have been together for four years and live with their daughter and three of Mrs Matthews's other children
She said: "If it's him [who downloaded the images] then it makes me feel sick. But lots of people use Karen and Craig's computers.
"They have one each and have used Craig's quite a bit to use the internet.
"I've seen other people using their computers too, as there are not that many people around here with the internet, so until the police have checked their dates and times to confirm that it is Craig who has got these pictures, people shouldn't jump to conclusions."
During the time Shannon was missing, Meehan frequently appeared at her mother's side as she appealed for information on her whereabouts.
He spoke about how he got on well with the nine-year-old as he recalled that a cuddly toy which had been a gift from his mother had become a favourite of Shannon's.
The teddy bear also disappeared but he said he tracked it down in the bunk bed of Shannon's half-sister, Courtney, two, who was using it to comfort herself.
He said: "Me and Shannon have always got on well. We have a real good laugh together. She likes jumping on me and trying to beat me up."
He also told how he had suffered personal tragedies of his own which made Shannon's disappearance even harder to deal with. "My dad died last November and my auntie died in January.
"Over the last four years, I have lost someone every Christmas."
Later he added: "We are trying to be normal for the kids but it is really hard with everything that is going on.
"There is always the chance that someone might have seen something or that they have that little bit of information that makes the difference."
On March 13, more than two weeks after Shannon went missing, Meehan said: "We play about as you do but have a brilliant relationship.
"Anyone round here will tell you I love these kids. I know they're not mine but they might as well be."
Miss Matthews said: "Shannon loves Craig. She thinks of him as a dad."
Shannon's natural father, Leon Rose, 29, also backed him. "I've always thought he was a decent guy," he said.
"Whenever I used to go over there to pick Shannon up, he'd be around and it was obvious she looked up to him."
Source: This is London |
http://OxyMoran.blogspot.com |
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justagrannynow
Senior Correspondent
France
304 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2008 : 17:28:34
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There was a suggestion by a neighbour interviewed on Sky that a number of people used the computer. Apparently not many people on that estate had internet access so they used Craig Meehans because he did.
I know nothing about computers but even if other people were using his computer to access pornography, or anything, wouldn't he know about it? When I google something, whole lists of stuff come up. My husband knew straight away when I was looking at golf trolleys!! |
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mog
Seasoned Reporter
United Kingdom
232 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2008 : 18:24:09
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quote:
Originally posted by justagrannynow
There was a suggestion by a neighbour interviewed on Sky that a number of people used the computer. Apparently not many people on that estate had internet access so they used Craig Meehans because he did.
I know nothing about computers but even if other people were using his computer to access pornography, or anything, wouldn't he know about it? When I google something, whole lists of stuff come up. My husband knew straight away when I was looking at golf trolleys!!
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JAGN
That could be an arrestable offence (looking at golf trolleys), under new EU wide legislation pertaining to the viewing of golfing items on a PC. |
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lincs
Moderator
United Kingdom
625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2008 : 20:10:57
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| Maybe there is alot more to come out about Shannons family. When people download indecent images of children surely there is a risk that they will go on to abuse. |
Edited by - lincs on Apr 03 2008 20:54:41 |
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justagrannynow
Senior Correspondent
France
304 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2008 : 08:52:38
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| A TV journalist reporting from outside Dewsbury Court yesterday said the court had been told he was no longer living with Shannons mother, the address given on his charge sheet. Karen Matthews has apparently arranged for somebody to collect his belongings from the house and has notified the court she wants no further contact with him. |
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justagrannynow
Senior Correspondent
France
304 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2008 : 07:31:34
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quote:
Originally posted by mog
This does not suprise me one bit. I am more suprised it has taken this long for it to happen.
Possibly the mother to be arrested next?
Are you psychic mog ???
I have to confess I was completely taken in by Karen and was still rooting for her when I heard she had told the court in Dewsbury that Craig Meehan no longer lived at her address.
If the family have done a McCann do you think there will be others ? |
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mog
Seasoned Reporter
United Kingdom
232 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2008 : 09:00:05
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quote:
Originally posted by justagrannynow
quote:
Originally posted by mog
This does not suprise me one bit. I am more suprised it has taken this long for it to happen.
Possibly the mother to be arrested next?
Are you psychic mog ???
I have to confess I was completely taken in by Karen and was still rooting for her when I heard she had told the court in Dewsbury that Craig Meehan no longer lived at her address.
If the family have done a McCann do you think there will be others ?
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If this situation is "family wide", so to speak, possibly others may be arrested. It seems that all the main suspects are reeled in at the moment.
There seems to be two enquiries going on here, doesn't there?
The Shannon kidnap, and the child pornography with Craig Meehan.
Just to add, Michael Donovan has apparently tried to commit suicide this morning, so..
Going back to the Mccanns. It was interesting when Shannon was found, the Mccanns offered the "Well this proves that madelaine could be found" line.
What this story proves, is that unfortunately families do try things on which are not nice. I wonder if the Mccanns will be so quick to comment on the latest developments.. (The silence is deafening)
Psychic? - No, i just have a built in "bullsh*t" mode. On the other hand, i do dream of aircraft crashes before they happen |
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Shannon Matthews Step Father