Who is Mark Page? Ex-BBC DJ jailed for child sex offences targeting Filipino children
CLEVELAND, OHIO: Former Radio 1 DJ Mark Page has been jailed for 12 years for arranging the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines. The 63-year-old of Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, used a webcam to contact his victims and subsequently traveled to the country. He claimed that his devices were apparently hacked, but jurors at Teesside Crown Court convicted him of four counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence, between 2016 and 2019. Page reportedly used his dating profile on 'Find Your Filipino Beauty' -- where he calls himself Pancho and claims to be 52 years old -- to prey on kids.
Jailing Page for 12 years, Judge Paul Watson said, "The offences of which you have been convicted involve the grotesque sexual abuse of young children for your own sexual gratification. You took advantage of the poverty and deprivation in an under-developed country in which children are routinely forced, through economic and social deprivation, into acts of prostitution." The 63-year-old divorced father-of-three was convicted on Wednesday, March 9 and
two of the charges related to contact he had via a webcam from his home, while two happened during his frequent trips to the Philippines.
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Who is Mark Page?
Sex offender Mark Page was on Radio 1 in the 1980s and worked as Middlesbrough FC's stadium announcer for 20 years. In 1990, Page was awarded the International Radio Personality of the Year at the New York Radio Awards for Clyde FM. He was awarded the Sony Gold Award for Britain's Best Breakfast show – Aire FM in Leeds -- the following year.
In 2001, Page founded the army base radio Garrison FM where he presented the Saturday lunchtime slot. However, the station was taken over by BFBS in 2013. As a cover to fulfill his perverted desires, Page took frequent business trips to the Philippines. Subsequently, Facebook alerted a charity after messages exchanged on its platform raised concerns. The divorced father-of-three was finally charged after authorities checked his tablet, mobile phone and computer tower and checked his Skype activity, texts, bank account and money transfers.
During her closing speech, Jo Kidd, prosecuting, drew parallels with other high-profile pedophiles. "Some of you may be old enough to remember Jim'll Fix It. You will remember watching It's a Knockout," Kidd said. "You will remember reveling in the size of Gary Glitter's shoes. They were people who were spoken highly of, even people who were knighted by the Queen."
She continued, "I am not saying this on the basis that just because Mr Page was a Radio One DJ, that it makes him guilty of these offences. But it is worth noting, when one puts on a public face, when one carries out charity work, it does not mean the underbelly of their sexual depravity is not real."
The jury was told that at one point, Page had tried to bargain for the price for a sexual encounter with a 12-year-old girl and a boy,13, to be reduced, saying that 3,000 pesos ($142.89) was too much. Det Sgt Kevin Carter from Cleveland Police's pedophile online investigation team said that Page had "refused to accept responsibility" but only tried to "lay blame on everyone but himself".
"Page attempted to present himself as a respectable and credible individual, yet his actions betrayed the trust and confidence of many people, not least his family and close friends," Carter said.