Shannon Matthews' stepfather remanded in custody
Shannon Matthews' stepfather arrested on charges relating to child abuse images
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Thursday, 03, Apr 2008 08:11
The stepfather of Shannon Matthews - the girl who went missing for 24 days last month – has been remanded in custody over charges of possessing indecent images of children.
Craig Meehan, 22, was arrested at his Dewsbury Moor home yesterday and charged with possession of indecent images of minors after West Yorkshire police investigated files contained on "a number of computers".
Mr Meehan appeared before Dewsbury magistrates court on Thursday where he was accused of 11 specimen charges of possessing indecent images.
Prosecutors claimed that there were 140 indecent images on two computers found at Mr Meehan's home.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire police confirmed a 22-year-old man had been charged but refused to comment on the children's welfare, saying it is being dealt with by social services.
Mr Meehan - a fishmonger by trade - has lived with Shannon's mother Karen Matthews, 32, and her four children since 2003.
Although Shannon and two of the other children are not Mr Meehan's biological offspring, the pair do have a two-year-old daughter of their own.
Dewsbury schoolgirl Shannon was found alive and well on March 14th under a bed at an address less than a mile from her home.
Mr Meehan's uncle, Michael Donovan, 39, has been charged with kidnapping Shannon and keeping her against her will and is due to stand trial this November.
Shannon has not returned home since she was discovered by officers, having been taken into care by the social services.