A paedophile dubbed the ‘worst in Britain’ has been stabbed to death with a makeshift blade in prison.
Richard Huckle was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars after being found guilty of 191 sexual offences against children as young as six months during his trial at the Old Bailey in 2016.
Now, the sex-offender who was known as the ‘gap year paedophile’ has been found ‘slumped’ in his cell at HMP Full Sutton, which houses some of Britain’s most notorious and violent offenders, the MailOnline reports.
According to the publication, a fellow inmate has been put in isolation as Humberside Police prepares to launch a murder investigation.
Huckle targeted care homes and orphanages while posing as a Christian, teaching English and photography in Malaysia and Cambodia. He then wrote a blog bragging about his heinous exploits and awarding himself ‘PedoPoints’ for the assaults.
The criminal is even said to have filmed himself raping children and babies, amassing a staggering 20,000 images of child abuse which he sold for profit at the age of just 19.
Investigators on the case believe he would’ve attacked many, many more children if he had not been caught in 2014 during an investigation by Australian police uncovering a network of paedophiles on the dark web.
He was arrested by the National Crime Agency after flying home to visit his family for Christmas.
Huckle maintained his innocence to police, however he later confessed to his horrified parents, who begged police to take him away.
His case was the worst array of child sex offences ever seen at the Old Bailey, where he admitted an unprecedented 71 charges over eight years, including rape, sexual assault and sexual activity with a child.
At the time of his trial, an NSPCC spokesman said:
Huckle is a frighteningly depraved paedophile who bragged about raping babies and delighted in abusing infants who trusted him.
He left a trail of devastation and his sentence reflects the severity of his crimes. It is horrifying that Huckle was able to profit from this appalling abuse.
According to Sky News, the now 33-year-old has now been found dead in his cell under ‘suspicious circumstances.’ Reports in Mail Online claim he was ‘shived’ with a makeshift weapon by one of his fellow inmates.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. If you are a child seeking advice and support call Childline for free on 0800 1111.
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.