EXCLUSIVE: Mother Fights for Justice After Met Detectives’ Eight-Month Delay Leaves 67 Children At Risk From Online Incitement.

Please note this article contains distressing content.

This is a mother’s fight for justice after her then seven year old daughter was abused online. This is her battle with three East Area detectives who she believes failed her daughter after they were provided with significant information by Greater Manchester Police of a peadophile active in Havering and eight months on, never visited the address.

The Met Police’s DPS stated in their outcome report that “During this time  (2022) there have been a high number of other children at risk from the outstanding suspect. The most recent figure is provided by the current Investigating officer is over 67 victims of online incitement.“

Fiona was preparing her daughter who was seven years old at the time, for bed when she realised something wasn’t quite right. Her daughter, who was generally a happy little girl, was hysterical and refused to hand over her phone.

“She has a phone with a little Instagram account that I check every day. On this occasion she refused to hand over her phone and was visibly really upset and distressed.”

At that point, Fiona took her daughter’s phone and realised something was terribly wrong. Her daughter had received a message from a person called Ellie who had sent her a video. The video was of a teenage girl masturbating and the person called Ellie, had asked her to send a video of her doing the same.

“This Ellie person had asked her if she had sisters and if they could all do videos, if she liked boys or girls and other such questions,” said Fiona.

This began in April 2022 and Fiona understably was horrified at what she had found on her daughter’s phone, and immediately rang 101.

“Due to the severity of the call, the operator put me through to 999 and I had a call from the police straight away.” Fiona lives in Manchester, so the following day received a visit from Greater Manchester Police Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team.

“They came round first thing and took the phone. They also asked me if my daughter would be willing to do an interview, which she did and from there, they began an immediate investigation.”

Greater Manchester Police’s enquiries located the IP address of the message sender who they traced back to an address in Rainham, Havering.

“They informed me then that as the IP address belonged to a person in the London area, the investigation had to be passed on to the Met Police. They told me that they had sufficient evidence for them (The Met) to go to the property and make an initial arrest, in the hope that they would protect other children.

“Greater Manchester Police were fantastic. They stayed in touch, kept me informed of the work they were doing and how the investigation was progressing.”

As the case was passed on to a detective based at East Area Command, Fiona began her struggle with the police.

“I thought I would receive a phone call or email from the new officer in charge of the case introducing themselves to me. After waiting several weeks, I didn’t have any response at all.”

Fiona waited and waited and heard very little from the East Area detective.

“I had an endless list of excuses. She was on holiday, she was on nights. The ADS informed me it was his first week on the job and he didn’t know how to use the computer. The list went on and on and they really made me feel like a hysterical mother.”

Eight months later and Fiona had very little news and the address located by Greater Manchester Police had not been visited, despite them even offering to obtain a warrant for Met officers to go to the address.

“They fobbed me off daily for eight months. I was begging and pleading for them to do something and as far as I can see, nothing was done and the investigation had not progressed and the individual was still out there harming children.”

In a desperate bid for answers in the hope to get justice for her daughter, Fiona reached out to MOPAC, and eventually to New Scotland Yard.

“I got through to the Professionalism department, the staff officer of a Commander Stephen Clayman who was extremely kind and helpful. The very same day he put me in contact with a lady called Claire from the Met’s Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Unit.

“Claire reached out to me straight away and informed me that they would undertake an emergency warrant for that address the day after which they did.

“Claire has been outstanding. She has been in regular contact with me most days, keeping me informed of how the case was going and really did an incredible job.”

The individual, who was just 17 years old at the time, was arrested and officers found twelves devices with a terabyte of material on each device.

An immediate investigation begun by Claire and her colleagues that then resulted in the suspect being charged with 55 separate offences.

Fiona was so disheartened by the lack of support from the detectives at East Area, that she turned to the IOPC for help. She was referred back to the Met’s Department of Professional Standards where two of the three officers were charged with misconduct.

“I do not think that is enough. These people are supposed to be protecting the public, especially our children and they failed in their duties. They sat on this for eight months.”

Fiona has now asked the IOPC to review the case and see if these officers should face a gross misconduct case.

“They failed me, they failed my daughter and they failed many other children out there. It really isn’t good enough.

“Claire and her team at the Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Unit were amazing. I would actually like to put Claire forward for a King’s Police Medal for the incredible work she has done.

“As for the other three, they let down parents and their children, there is no excuse for this. I begged for months and all they did was make me feel like a hysterical mother that was doing nothing but getting in their way.”

Fiona’s relationship with her partner has since broken down and her daughter now refuses to go on any residential school trips where she has to change in front of others.

“I feel angry, they’ve broken my trust. They made me feel like they couldn’t care less. They were rude, unhelpful, everyday was a battle with them. They really just ignored me the best way they could. The impact this whole incident has had on our lives has been awful. I spent endless days crying when all I wanted was justice for my daughter.

“I’ve never been anti police, I actually have nothing but praise for Claire and her team and want her to get the best praise possible. It is the three detectives who had the case first who completely failed me and I think facing just a case of misconduct is not good enough. They failed parents, they failed our children.”

The Metropolitan Police’s Department for Professional Standards reviewed the East Area investigation in an outcome report sent to Fiona. It makes for grim reading as it clearly states that the IP address identified by Greater Manchester Police was not attended to by East Area officers and that during those eight months a shocking 67 children were victims of online incitement.

“During this time there have been a high number of other children at risk from the outstanding suspect. The most recent figure is provided by the current Investigating officer is over 67 victims of online incitement.”

The outcome report seen by the Havering Daily states:

“GMP completed the initial investigation, identifying a suspect’s IP address connected to the relevant social media account. This IP address was linked to a residential address where four people resided. This address was located in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) area and the decision was made to transfer the investigation to the MPS on 21st June 2022. 

 On 6th July 2022 the MPS accepted the investigation and created a report which was allocated and accepted by the investigating officer a DC on 14th July 2022.

 On transfer GMP officers advised that MPS officers needed to attend the address, in hopes the suspect would come forward or for the MPS to consider arresting all occupants with the intention of seizing and searching electronic devices to confirm the identity of the suspect.  

  DC made a significant number of entries whilst in her capacity of Officer in the Case (OIC). However, she and her team including her supervisors ADS and DI did not attend the address provided by GMP and no arrest was made during her time as OIC. The matter was eventually transferred to the Central Online Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation (OCSAE) Team who obtained an urgent warrant and arrested the suspect in December 2022. This matter is still under investigation. 

  During this time there have been a high number of other children at risk from the outstanding suspect. The most recent figure is provided by the current Investigating officer is over 67 victims of online incitement.”

Thanks to Claire and her outstanding Team at Met’s Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Unit the suspect was swiftly arrested.

The 17 year old was convicted of grooming and abusing 19 young girls through social media after a complex investigation by the Met’s Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Unit in partnership with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Krisztian Fejer, 19 (21.12.04), Rainham, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court in June, where he pleaded guilty to 55 offences in total (below), involving 19 victims aged between 7 – 13 years old from across the country, including Manchester, Kettering, Liverpool, County Durham, Wakefield, North Wales, Edinburgh, Hastings and London.

The offending occurred between January 2022 and December 2022. He was charged with:

– Cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity – penetration

– Cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity – No penetration

– Attempt to cause / incite a female child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity

– Make indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child (Category A)

– Make indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child (Category B)

– Make indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child (Category C)

– Distribute indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child (Category B)

He was sentenced at the same court on Monday, 23 September to five and a half years’ imprisonment, with four years extended licence.

He was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice and must sign the sexual offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Claire Ball, who led the investigation, said: “Fejer is a deeply disturbing, callous and manipulative offender who preyed on each of these victims to earn their trust and then betrayed it in the most disgusting way imaginable.

“That he was only 17 himself when he was arrested is hard to comprehend. The damage he has done to each of these victims, and their families, cannot be underestimated. Many of them are still undertaking counselling as they come to terms with what has happened. We will continue to support them however we can.

“Our investigation has been incredibly complex. We have spent months carrying out a wealth of enquiries, including the forensic examination of multiple electronic devices and cloud based storage. We have identified victims from all over the world and carried out multiple victim interviews. CPS lawyer Claire Brinton has been incredible throughout. We would not have got here without her invaluable advice, support and hard work.

“These young girls have been central to our thoughts throughout. They have been through so much and I am so grateful to all of them for their bravery and support. I am glad that they can now know he is behind bars and won’t cause harm to any more children.”

Fejer created multiple Instagram accounts using fake email addresses and would pose as a teenage girl, usually called ‘Ellie’.

He engaged with young girls and encouraged them to send ‘Ellie’ sexual photographs or videos.

He would screenshot these and when the engagement ended he would delete the account, effectively removing all evidence of it from his device, except for the screen shots he had taken.

He would then set up a similar Instagram account and start the process all over again.

Fiona has now asked the IOPC to review the investigation and look into just why these three officers failed her and her daughter and 67 other children.

A spokesperson for the Met Police told the Havering Daily: “We are aware that the matter is subject to a review taking place by the IOPC at present “.

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