Teaching Assistant Who Abused Vulnerable Children Could Be One of Britain’s Worst Sex Offenders
A teaching assistant who preyed on children with special educational needs and disabilities may have abused more than 80 victims—potentially ranking him among the UK’s most prolific sex offenders.
Daniel Clarke, 28, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison today after admitting to offenses against six vulnerable children. However, following the lifting of reporting restrictions, police revealed fears that his crimes could extend to dozens more victims.
Clarke, who had been entrusted to care for his victims, instead groomed them and pressured them into silence. He manipulated children into disturbing “truth or dare” sex games, recorded his assaults, and maintained a list of boys he had filmed.
The court heard that Clarke worked at a special needs school in the West Midlands and also served as a personal assistant for multiple children. One mother, who had paid him £3,500 to support her son, told the court she felt she had “paid him to abuse” her child. The boy, now traumatized, had reportedly considered suicide and even asked his mother to “buy him a casket.”
Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft described abuse that included exposure to pornography, forced nudity, and secret filming in bathrooms—acts too graphic to detail fully. He confirmed an ongoing “complex and sensitive” police investigation, with potential victims numbering “well over 81.” Most have yet to be contacted by authorities.
Judge Michael Chambers KC condemned Clarke’s “gross breach of trust,” emphasizing that vulnerable children and their families “are entitled to expect protection” from those hired to care for them. The abuse, he said, would cause lasting psychological harm.
The investigation began in October 2023 after reports of Clarke’s inappropriate relationship with a child. Police later seized numerous devices from his home, including phones, laptops, spy cameras, and hard drives. Despite Clarke’s claim that he was merely “interested in child anatomy,” prosecutors dismissed this as absurd.
One mother’s impact statement described her son’s ruined childhood, saying her “worst nightmare as a parent has become my reality.” Clarke’s defense acknowledged his remorse, quoting him as saying, “I can’t hurt anyone further.”
Clarke pleaded guilty in February to charges including making indecent images of children, sexual assault, and inciting sexual activity (2013–2024). He received an extended 4.5-year license period, a lifelong ban from working with children, and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.
Initially, police sought anonymity for Clarke to avoid prejudicing future trials, but the judge later lifted the order, allowing his identity to be revealed.
