In 2022, the Offender Database recorded that former Radio 1 DJ Mark Page, then 63, of Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, was sentenced to prison for orchestrating the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines. On 10 March 2022, Page appeared at Teesside Crown Court, where he was handed a 12-year custodial sentence after being found guilty of four counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence.
The investigation established that Page, the managing director of the Armed Forces Radio Station Garrison FM and a former Middlesbrough FC stadium announcer, exploited extreme poverty in the Philippines for his own sexual gratification. He utilized webcams from his home in Ingleby Barwick, North Yorkshire, to contact and abuse victims in 2016, and travelled to the country for further offences in 2016 and 2019. One victim was identified as a 13-year-old fatherless waitress.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Page attempted to haggle the price of sexual encounters with children as young as 12, complaining that 3,000 pesos (approximately £44) was too much. Judge Paul Watson QC branded the broadcaster the “very embodiment of depravity,” noting that he deliberately targeted children routinely forced into prostitution by social and economic deprivation. Despite a “no comment” interview, Page later claimed in court that his devices had been hacked—a defence the jury rejected after Cleveland Police presented evidence from Facebook monitors.
The judge noted that Page “delighted in the humiliation” of his victims and demonstrated a callous disregard for the long-term trauma he inflicted. For his actions in the Philippines and his digital crimes in Ingleby Barwick, the court determined that a substantial prison term was necessary. Detective Sergeant Kevin Carter of Cleveland Police stated that Page had refused to accept responsibility, instead betraying the trust of his family, friends, and the public.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England and the Philippines, Mark Page was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 12 years in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are in effect for life.
- SHPO: A life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
- Judicial Oversight: Convicted at Teesside Crown Court on four counts of arranging child sex offences.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Page is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Cleveland Police and the prison estate. Due to the international nature of his offending and his former high-profile roles in Teesside and Middlesbrough, his management is subject to the highest level of oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Page must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Ingleby Barwick, North Yorkshire, for the rest of his life. Authorities state that his travel to underdeveloped countries and his use of digital communication devices will be the primary focuses of his post-release supervision. Any breach of his registration conditions, the SHPO, or his licence terms will result in immediate arrest and a return to Teesside Crown Court.
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