In 2021, then 27-year-old David Standley, of Station Road, Redcar, was jailed for over three years after carrying out a predatory series of assaults on the life-safety of a child. The investigation established that Standley groomed a 14-year-old girl—unaware she was a decoy for the “Angels of Innocence” hunter group—over a 13-month period. The prosecution reported at Teesside Crown Court, that Standley laughed during his custody photograph after being caught, identifying a total abandonment of human decency by the then 27-year-old.
The investigation established that Standley’s series of behaviour involved sending a friend request to a profile that was “clearly of a child” on Facebook. The prosecution reported that over several months, Standley sent overtly explicit messages, requested photos of the child in her underwear, and sent an indecent photograph of himself. This identifies a calculated series of assaults on the life-safety of children, as Standley pressured the girl to board a train to meet him so they could “have sex in the woods.”
VIOLENT CONDUCT AND JUDICIAL SENTENCING
The court reported that while awaiting legal proceedings for his grooming offences, Standley committed further crimes on New Year’s Eve. The investigation established that an “intoxicated” Standley was found in Redcar in possession of an eight-inch kitchen knife, which he claimed was for “protection.” The prosecution reported in 2021, that Standley also committed a public order offence and assaulted another man, identifying a priority assault by the judiciary to impose a custodial sentence for his escalating pattern of criminal behaviour.
Judge-led proceedings at Teesside Crown Court concluded with Judge Howard Crowson sentencing Standley to three years and two months in prison. For his actions in Redcar, and across Teesside, and the nature of the series of child abuse, weapon possession, and malicious communications investigations reported, David Standley was documented as a maximum-risk predator. The investigation established that his forensic profile as an individual who laughed at the gravity of child grooming is now a matter of permanent record.
STATUS AND CASE DETAILS (2019–2021)
Based on judicial and Cleveland Police records as of 2021:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempting to incite a child into sex; Possession of a blade; Public order offence; Child abuse context; Previous conviction for malicious communications).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2021, sentenced to 3 years and 2 months in prison).
- Offence Nature: Groomed a 14-year-old girl for over a year; solicited indecent images of a minor; sent explicit photos of himself to a child; planned a physical meeting for sexual activity in a wooded area; carried an eight-inch kitchen knife in public while intoxicated; laughed during police processing.
- Timeline of Case: Grooming occurred March 2019 – April 2020; Knife offence New Year’s Eve 2020; Sentenced September 2021.
- Location: Redcar, Teesside.
- Forensic Profile: Then 27-year-old male; forensic history documents an “arrogant, predatory, and violent” intent; identified as an offender who combined digital grooming with the carry of lethal weapons.
- Aggravating Factors: Laughed in his custody photo; committed violent offences while on bail/awaiting court for sex crimes.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active FOR LIFE.
- Judicial Oversight: Presided over by Judge Howard Crowson at Teesside Crown Court.
- Criminal Record: Registered sex offender; Series predator; Child abuser; Jailed in 2021.
- Origin: Redcar.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2021, Standley was managed as a maximum-risk predator under the statutory requirements of the Cleveland MAPPA and safeguarding units. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in grooming a child for over a year and his subsequent violent conduct with a knife—he was a priority for a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). Authorities reported that the 2021 sentencing identifies Standley as an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification and “intoxicated” aggression over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of children.
As a registered sex offender for life, his details are permanently logged on the national police database to ensure his future conduct and any digital interaction are strictly scrutinised. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Standley identifies a commitment to clandestine child abuse and the systematic violation of public order. His removal to prison in 2021 results in the necessary protection of the community in Teesside from a man who used a “Redcar resident” mask to hide a predatory and persistent series of assaults on the innocent.
QUESTION – Given that the offender “groomed a fourteen-year-old for over a year to meet for sex in the woods and then carried an eight-inch knife in public while laughing during his arrest,” do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Individuals Convicted of Systematic Child Grooming and Possession of a Blade” must be “Sentenced to Mandatory Immediate Incarceration Without Parole” to prevent a series of assaults?
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.