A man from Manchester has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for arranging to rape a 12-week-old baby. Mark Whalley, 71, was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the foyer of a hotel in Manchester city centre, where he had planned to carry out the abuse.

The arrest came after the NCA received intelligence from Norwegian law enforcement partners, revealing Whalley’s discussions of his sexual interest in children under the age of 12 on the online platform Wickr. Whalley had also shared indecent images of children with other users on the site and described the extreme abuse he desired to engage in.

Investigators from the NCA discovered that Whalley had used Wickr to message an individual who claimed to have access to a baby. They discussed the details of how he would carry out the abuse upon meeting.

Whalley was apprehended by NCA officers on suspicion of child abuse offenses before he could enter the hotel elevator. Initially, he attempted to pass off the arranged meeting as an affair, but he later pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children, as well as arranging a child sex offence.

It was revealed that Whalley had arranged to abuse the child while already under investigation for the recovery of indecent images of children from his devices in 2021. He was sentenced for all offences at Manchester Crown Court on 23 October 2023.

Daniel Waywell, NCA Operations Manager, emphasised the dangerous nature of Whalley’s intentions and praised the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad. Waywell stated that the NCA is committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and ensuring that offenders like Whalley are held accountable for their crimes.