London:

A British mechanic who created and managed a darknet site dedicated to child sexual abuse with the help of an Indian-origin staff member has been sentenced to 16 years in prison at Chester Crown Court in northwest England.

Nathan Bake, 28, who was sentenced on Wednesday, was one of three British moderators of the British website “The Annex” identified by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in an investigation into those behind the site.

One of his staff members, 33-year-old London psychiatrist Kabir Garg, was sentenced to six years in prison by a British court last year. He is also the site’s administrator, ranking second only to Bake in its hierarchy.

NCA senior investigating officer Daniel Waywell said: “Baker was one of a small number of individuals who played a significant role in ensuring that The Annex continued to operate and was able to facilitate child sexual abuse on a global scale.”

“He started out as a user but rose through the ranks by gaining the trust of other moderators by actively sharing large amounts of material and encouraging discussion of horrific abuses. His dedication to this global pedophile community So much so that in addition to his day job as a mechanic, he devoted his time to operating and building other darknet sites to aid in their criminal activities,” he said.

The attachment, which is no longer active, had around 90,000 members worldwide who used it to share and discuss some of the most extreme abuse material, including “hurtcore” and the sexual abuse of babies and young children.

As chief moderator, Baker is the No. 2 person on the entire site, which is run by an American man who was sentenced to life in prison in the United States in January.

In addition to Garg, Bake manages a staff of approximately 29 people and works with them to enforce site rules and ensure the site continues to run smoothly.

“Garg was involved in a large-scale child sexual abuse operation. He used the darknet to access global pedophile communities to share and discuss horrific crimes against children.” NCA’s Adam Priestley in 2023 Garg said at his sentencing in June.

“He then ensured that he was a trustworthy and respected member and was therefore invited to become a member of staff and involved in day-to-day management. This organization and willingness to allow other offenders took his criminal behavior to a higher level , a more shocking level,” he added.

Like Baker, Garg was subject to a Serious Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The NCA said it worked with a number of international partners to target this group of presenters. A further 14 men have been charged in the United States for their role in operating The Annex, with eight receiving sentences ranging from 6 to 28 years in prison.

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