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| Walsall man who abused disabled children may have 81 victims | Walsall man who abused disabled children may have 81 victims |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Daniel Clarke, from Walsall, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court and was jailed for seven years and six months, after pleading guilty to sexual offences against six vulnerable children | Daniel Clarke, from Walsall, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court and was jailed for seven years and six months, after pleading guilty to sexual offences against six vulnerable children |
| A teaching assistant may have abused "well over 81" children with special educational needs and disabilities, it can now be revealed. | A teaching assistant may have abused "well over 81" children with special educational needs and disabilities, it can now be revealed. |
| Daniel Clarke, from Walsall, has been jailed for seven years and six months, after pleading guilty to sexual offences against six vulnerable children. | Daniel Clarke, from Walsall, has been jailed for seven years and six months, after pleading guilty to sexual offences against six vulnerable children. |
| But a major investigation is under way by West Midlands Police, who believe he could be one of the most prolific sex offenders of recent times. | But a major investigation is under way by West Midlands Police, who believe he could be one of the most prolific sex offenders of recent times. |
| Clarke, 28, can now be named after the BBC successfully challenged an order, at Wolverhampton Crown Court, withholding his identity from the public. | |
| During the sentencing hearing, the court heard that the mother of one victim had paid Clarke £3,500 for work as a personal assistant for her child, but had been left feeling like she had been "paying him to abuse her son". | |
| The child was one of the "particularly vulnerable" children, all of whom had additional needs and disabilities, that Clarke, "abused his position of trust" against, the court heard. | |
| On withholding his identity, Judge Michael Chambers KC had initially sided with police, who had asked for the order because of fears publication of their wider investigation could prejudice future jurors. | |
| But after further submissions by the BBC, he decided to lift the restriction in its entirety, agreeing that future proceedings were neither pending or imminent. | |
| 'Significant psychological harm' | |
| At a hearing in February, Clarke pleaded guilty to offences including making indecent photographs of a child, assaulting children by touching, and inciting children to engage in sexual activity with no penetration. | |
| Prosecuting barrister Daniel Oscroft said the defendant had worked as a teaching assistant at a school in Solihull and, separately, as a personal assistant to several children. | |
| Many of the details shared during a two-day sentencing hearing are too graphic to publish. | Many of the details shared during a two-day sentencing hearing are too graphic to publish. |
| Sentencing Clarke, Judge Chambers said: "Those who have special educational needs are vulnerable and require protection and support. | |
| "Both they and their close relatives are entitled to expect such protection and support from persons such as yourself, who are entrusted to look after them. | "Both they and their close relatives are entitled to expect such protection and support from persons such as yourself, who are entrusted to look after them. |
| "What you did constitutes a gross breach of trust and will have caused significant psychological harm to those concerned." | "What you did constitutes a gross breach of trust and will have caused significant psychological harm to those concerned." |
| 'Truth or dare' games | 'Truth or dare' games |
| The investigation into Clarke began in October last year, when police received reports he had been in an inappropriate relationship with a child, the court heard. | The investigation into Clarke began in October last year, when police received reports he had been in an inappropriate relationship with a child, the court heard. |
| Inquiries revealed he had abused children by taking them back to his home, where he suggested they play "truth or dare games". | Inquiries revealed he had abused children by taking them back to his home, where he suggested they play "truth or dare games". |
| The court heard two victims were dared to take off their clothes, before being stood back to back naked and exposed to pornography. | |
| "He told them not to talk about what had happened to anybody else," Mr Oscroft said. | |
| The court was told that as part of his personal assistant role, Clarke would take children out for day trips and record them in public toilets using a portable camera. | |
| Officers were later said to have discovered a large number of devices from the defendant's address, including phones, laptops, "spy cameras", internal CCTV type equipment and storage devices like hard drives and USB sticks. | |
| He was said to have made a list of his victims, some of which dated back to 2016, the court heard. | |
| Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. | Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. |