Businessman who helped expose Nursery paedo ring has "no regrets"

The man who smashed the child porn triangle

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Exclusive interview by Herald crime reporter Carl Eve

THE BUSINESSMAN who exposed the sordid crimes of Colin Blanchard, and in turn both Vanessa George and Angela Allen, said he has no regrets, despite the damage it has done to his own company.

John – who spoke exclusively to Crime Reporter Carl Eve on condition his name was changed to protect his identity – said he appreciated the parents involved “are somewhat thankful this has come out sooner rather than later” but recognises the hurt and devastation which his discovery created.

“I feel proud that I have started something which has uncovered the truth for many and potentially saved a lot of young lives from abuse,” he said.

“These children are angels and by hurting them we hurt God.

“By reporting Colin I have had to close down our current warehouse, stopped trading and relocate to start afresh with no trace of him ever having entered our lives.

“We had two businesses that we started, invested in, that I have now forgotten about and shut down.

“No money is worth carrying the guilt of knowing a person like this, whose actions would have only brought shame and disgust to my businesses and me.

“I have always believed that God will punish those who do wrong and as a Muslim I think Colin will get what he deserves for his actions.”

John and a handful of other businessmen worked out of a rented office based at Trafford Park business park in Manchester, a short distance from the legendary football stadium.

Colin would pop into John’s office, to make business deals, arrange meetings and catch up on news. During his visits he would often use John’s computer to access his own Google e-mails, logging in with his own address and password.

John said: “He used to be someone we did business with, a business contact.”

Blanchard had visited the office on Monday June 1 and had used John’s computer. But for once, the computer-savvy wheeler-dealer made a critical mistake. He forgot to log out of his Google-mail on John’s computer, and when John tried to access his own Google-mail site on Friday, June 5, he found himself confronted with all of Blanchard’s e-mails.

“I opened it up and the e-mails weren’t mine. I looked and saw a message from a contact of mine in Dubai.

“There were deals he was engaged in relating to one of my contacts in Dubai and I was interested in that.

“I realised he was usurping my contact, doing a deal behind my back.”

Further investigation in the sent basket revealed “bizarre” images of Blanchard posing that were then sent on to “loads of women – and loads of women were sending images of themselves back, in poses of their own…”

Curious, John continued to search, finding more and more images of women posing for Blanchard… but then the nature of the images dramatically changed.

John admits he still finds it hard to find the words to describe what he saw.

“When you first look at those things you just try and work out what it is. You can’t work out what they are. Only when you saw a sequence and then it all unfolds what’s been going on.

“I just turned the computer off. I was in the office and sitting by four other people. I just turned the machine off. Only later on in the day did I go back to make sure of what it was.

“I found out he had gone to Dubai – he hadn’t even told me he was going.”

John contacted Greater Manchester Police who immediately informed officers in Rochdale to raid Blanchard’s home.

“As I said in my statements, I was still giving Colin the benefit of the doubt. I said that if he was innocent and it was a mistake I would back him all the way.

“The police were quick – very, very quick. I spoke to them and they went around his house and took action.

“An officer from SOCO [Scene of Crime Officer] was in our office the next day [June 6 – the day of Blanchard’s arrest at Manchester Airport as he returned from Dubai].”

John was then left the onerous task of informing his fellow business colleagues.

He said: “There’s a group of us that do business, about five or six of us, at the office.

The hard part was explaining it to them what Colin had done. They all had pending deals with him; they were all involved with him.

“One chap was going to be on the board of a charity helping abused kids. He was gutted at the news. Through one deal with Colin he was going to put a percentage of the profits from their venture into the charity.

“Finishing everything had a detrimental effect. I’ve sold off stock and equipment, given away stuff, because I’ve just wanted to get away from anything he touched.

“He left some stock – brand new child safety seats, would you believe! Some he had passed on to me – I just gave them to a charity. I didn’t want anything to do with it.

“We cancelled contracts all round. I just cut it all off because it wouldn’t look good for them, because eventually Colin Blanchard would be mentioned. It would be bad for everybody if it all came out.

“I just wanted to make a fresh start.”

John said he never knew about Blanchard’s caution in 2002 for downloading indecent images of children and has learned that a supposed tax or VAT problem with Customs and Excise Blanchard often mentioned may have been just a smokescreen.

“He always had problems with Customs and Excise regarding a deal. He got raided and said it was to do with that. He’d been arrested about five years ago and it had kept going on from about 2002.

“Perhaps it was all a lie, making out it was all about a VAT matter when actually it was about these images.

“You must remember, I’ve known him for 10 years, known him on and off. He’d be around for eight or nine months then you wouldn’t see him for a year or two.”

John reveals that Blanchard and his wife had difficulties in conceiving a child.

“However, when their daughter was born it was amazing. They’ve both been trying since 1998.

“She was a miracle child for them.”

The more John has learned about his former friend and business colleague from police, the more he realised that Colin’s past foibles may have been more central to his character than anyone ever realised.

He said: “He was a compulsive liar. I know he lied and to be honest he was a struggle to do business with sometimes. But I liked him. He had the right contacts. He knew a lot of heavy people – politicians, businessmen, celebs.

“He was very well connected, which made him a good businessman. And he was a great blagger.

“He’d get into something to prove that he could get it for you, no matter how difficult it was. It’s his character, almost as if he was showing off what he could get or get people to do for him.

“He’s a sick person – it’s a sickness isn’t it? He was cautioned for it when he didn’t have a child, and then look what he’s done when he did have one of his own.”

John denies claims by police that Colin lived on credit and promises, claiming instead that his business deals and investments gave him a very comfortable life.

“He lived really, really well. He had a really nice house, worth around £350,000. He had a business head and stored his money in the right places. If the police say he was living beyond his means, it’s because they haven’t found where his money really is.”

John admits that reporting Colin was “probably the hardest thing I have ever done – but something I would have no problem in doing again.

“My daughter is two years old and she loved Colin’s daughter. Luckily my wife never lets my daughter out of her sight for even five minutes.

“Now, I’ve got no emotions about it, but at the start it was upsetting. He was almost like a family member.

“But if you are a parent and you ever see what I saw, then automatically you see your own child and that’s what took me to report this. That’s why I did what I did.

“Colin’s story is just about to start and trust me, you could actually create a film on him. Nothing is as it seems with this guy and the police are already inquiring about more and more weird information on him. The police have not really told anybody about Colin yet and his history. There’s a lot of things I have found out through the police which I never knew in the ten years I knew him.

“I have no sympathy for paedophiles and I actually never think they will change. It’s like a cancer for these people from which, in my opinion, they can’t recover.”

John reveals he contacted one Little Ted’s parent who posted a message on a blogsite shortly after the arrests were made. He said he wanted to try and put her mind at rest, as if to offer condolences for her situation. He said his heart goes out to the parents in Plymouth.

“Colin should get what he should get, doing what he did,” said John.

“While it was like giving up someone in your family for me, I can sleep comfortable at night for what I’ve done.”

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/man-smashed-child-porn-triangle/article-1389486-detail/article.html

Food for thought for certain other "businessmen" with lesser consciences perhaps?

Awful story. I mean, good post, but ..... I just don't have the words for these people.

One thing that is curious though, is this extract:

“I just turned the computer off. I was in the office and sitting by four other people. I just turned the machine off. Only later on in the day did I go back to make sure of what it was.

How would the email account still be active, with the ability to continue to view the emails? It is clear he wouldn't know the password.

He may have turned off the screen. But he did eventually go to the police which was good work. Good thing Blanchard didn't log in and remove all the evidence. Still, the outcome is that these pedos will no longer pose a threat.

He knew a lot of heavy people – politicians, businessmen, celebs.


and he goes on to say this man had plenty of money and there is a lot more to come out.

Just quite spine chilling as to who his "customers" may have been and exactly why he was going on business trips to Dubai etc.

I read the Judge appealing to them to identify who had been abused, it must be pure agony for the parents but you can see that for this man, his former business associate, he is also a victim who just felt obliged to walk away from his business, it was all soiled along with his own reputation.

viv wrote:He knew a lot of heavy people – politicians, businessmen, celebs.

and:-

Code:

John reveals that Blanchard and his wife had difficulties in conceiving a child.

“However, when their daughter was born it was amazing. They’ve both been trying since 1998.

“She was a miracle child for them.”


I noticed that too, and how this man has a similar personality to Gerry McCann. Oh sue me Gerry, face bovvered!

viv wrote:I noticed that too, and how this man has a similar personality to Gerry McCann. Oh sue me Gerry, face bovvered!

Your words, not mine viv.

Well you know, he is such a cocky git, he can get off on all that power suing people for libel for having the audacity to say he killed Maddie and dumped her body, I would just ask him, well if you are so cock sure that is wrong, then what did you do with her?

People may be wrong saying that, but he will seriously come to regret the day he went on a sue fest.

viv wrote:Well you know, he is such a cocky git, he can get off on all that power suing people for libel for having the audacity to say he killed Maddie and dumped her body, I would just ask him, well if you are so cock sure that is wrong, then what did you do with her?

People may be wrong saying that, but he will seriously come to regret the day he went on a sue fest.

Nothing wrong with a little criminal profile matching viv, after all, the police do it all the time.

I am cock sure the police have got his measure and one of these days he will get his collar feltx

Dubai !! Isn't The PR VULTURE of DEATH due to travel there, shortly. mmm.......

Are you following me around Laffin?

I am sure the Pink One will have a great time in Dubai. Here's a teddy bear for him

Its a well known fact isn't it, that paedos have friends in high place. This is how the Mcs have got off, so to speak and it probably will take someone to stumble upon evidence, just like the businessman did. Hope they go straight to the police though as GM is computer savvy.

Well done, that man! He may have lost money in this life, but he will get his reward in Heaven.

And at least he will be able to sleep soundly at nights.

Interesting, the parallels between this Colin character, and Gerry, though. That was one of the first things I noticed, too.

I wish their were more people in the world like this one who had the courage to go to the police and expose what he had found. It's a sick world out there, one that has always been there beneath the surface. The internet is bringing sicker minds together aswell as exposing some of 'em.
The business contacts is similar to what we see with the Tapas lot. Those poor children, I hope there is a place where they will all meet their maker and pay the price, I really really do :Hit:

Well done to John, if only there were more people out there like him, who are prepared to risk their livelihood to save the children at risk from such evil perverts.

Fudge wrote:Well done to John, if only there were more people out there like him, who are prepared to risk their livelihood to save the children at risk from such evil perverts.

Evil perverts that were all PARENTS too Fudge.

Schnuffel

Good point, which is very worrying! How many more paedos hide behind being parents?

I wonder what the ratio is of parents who sexually abuse their children and parents who murder their children? I suspect the former would be one heck of a lot higher.

Hi to everyone
Yes, well done to John he sound like he is a good man

viv wrote:I wonder what the ratio is of parents who sexually abuse their children and parents who murder their children? I suspect the former would be one heck of a lot higher.

At just five years old, Dana learned that there was no one she could trust. Most devastating of all, even her own mother betrayed her and in the most unimaginable way. For years, Dana and her younger sister suffered at the hands of one of Britain's largest ever-known paedophile rings. And their mother did nothing to protect them. Only now is Dana's nightmare coming to an end as she crusades to put her abusers behind bars. In June 2007 the truth was finally exposed. Dana bravely testified against her own mother. The woman who had subjected Dana and her sister to a lifetime of horror was sentenced to twelve years in prison. It was one of the most traumatic ordeals Dana has ever experienced. But a shocked world was finally forced to open its eyes to what happened to Dana. This is her story of survival.

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/-/100/157/-/6405135/How-Could-She-/Product.html?searchtype=genre#

Thanks, I think it is unfortunate there are many who only have just one explanation as to what they think happened to Madeleine and seem to just discount the testimony of doctors and a social worker. Just discount the bizarre and sometimes very sad pictures we see of little Maddie.


Maybe they should go and figure those odds?

Nobody is discounting it Viv but I think you are closing your mind to the fact that she could have died, somebody did and the body ended up in 5a before the dogs arrived, why are you so certain she did not die?

I think you will find if you read what I say I am not "closing my mind" to anything, I am appealing to people not to do that, to all these die hard dog fans in particular. I have always said it is possible she died in the apartment, but there is no evidence to confirm that. But there is plenty of evidence to confirm the McCanns were involved in her disappearance and I think it is more likely Madeleine was the victim of sexual abuse. But if you say that the dogs prove as a fact or the file proves as a fact that Madeleine died in the apartment, you are libelling the McCanns and you are giving them the golden opportunity to shut forums up, is that what people really want? Sometimes it appears people have an agenda to pursue that would lead to that conclusion.

So, Viv, you accusing them of sexual abuse is not libelling them? Why are you so keen to disprove the dogs, that is what I don't understand?