Brand new detectives’ first question would be to see if the images were historical photographs downloaded by the Blanchard otherwise photos off “fresh abuse” taken by Blanchard or individuals the guy know. Were there students exactly who needed to be rescued and additionally abusers who’d as averted? Some was in fact blogs to get consumers, procuring and you may investing pictures of kids, such as new “Lucy series” one to basic concerned cops desire from inside the 1997 and exhibited a litttle lady portrayed in numerous degrading issues. Others wanted the subjects unsullied. Those who had entry to a genuine kid sat on the top of bunch. In the what avoid of one’s flesh-industry is Blanchard, detectives questioned? Arrested lower than a good superintendent’s guarantee, that they had 36 period to determine.

Andrew Edwards, an it specialist at the GMP’s hey-technical offense unit, and this work out of a good claustrophobic place known at GMP’s push head office labeled as “new cavern”, got the call towards Saturday early morning. Procedure Morley will be Edwards’s basic significant project.

His initial task were to rating into the Blanchard’s current email address profile and disassemble whatever knowledge police recovered out of their ?350,000 house in Smithy Connection, close Rochdale. Inside a great cul-de-sac of new-generates called Yea Flex, a shiny black colored Volvo stayed parked into the driveway, but nobody try family. Blanchard’s spouse Anne, which he’d met when you’re she try a keen student on Liverpool John Moore’s college, is forewarned you to definitely this lady partner were to end up being questioned and you may, that have folded, had been taken care of in other places.

To the, the area was immaculate. Even the toilet tissue ended up being refused. Blanchard obviously wielded natural control, appreciated investigators. Their swagger was stamped throughout the, about huge dining-room table hewn regarding an effective slab out-of marble on astounding varieties of yachts placed on the new cabinets. Even the environment was regulated; Blanchard’s higher conservatory fitted which have sky-fortifying units, a surprise buy in Rochdale.

Edwards generated a list of exactly what officials retrieved: a beneficial Nintendo betting server, a good Sony PSP, an Acer laptop computer, a couple of pencil pushes – memories dongles that is certainly connected to a pc – a beneficial Hewlett packard laptop, a couple additional hard drives, three thoughts notes, a fruit computers, good Netgear move, and an effective Nokia N70 mobile. It represented an excellent haystack out of gigabytes whereby however enjoys so you’re able to sift. After that you will find this new new iphone. It was therefore the latest that GMP failed to know how to compromise it.

Over the second couple essential era, the fresh They specialist eviscerated Blanchard’s gizmos, having fun with C4P, an electronic digital product developed from the Canadian cops you to definitely wanted and you will collected photographs kept towards the one desktop, even reassembling those people that had been overwritten and you will broken up. Edwards’s task was developed a little convenient as Blanchard utilized zero passwords or encryption.

The police quiz Blanchard

“The guy told you, ‘Don’t bring your coat off. There clearly was surprise inquiry and also make on the Yards Department [layer Trafford and you will Altrincham].’ I called him or her, heard of Blanchard and arranged an interviewing this new officers writing about they.”

Inside time Investigator Constable Andy Pilling, on the GMP’s intimate crimes tool, had turned up as well, and you may along with DS Willis set off for Altrincham.

For the early morning out of Saturday 8 Summer, Investigator Sergeant Bob Willis, of the GMP’s sexual criminal activities equipment – a vintage hand on these inquiry – arrived getting work on Nexus Household into the Ashton-under-Lyne, the fresh head office of your own unlawful analysis department

They’d get-off one ending up in a small grouping of 20 pictures to analyze, all of which Blanchard had received away from unknown provide. It represented naked very young children, the fresh new oldest only about eighteen months. “They were unusual if you are thus more youthful so there is an effective ladies’ chest and you may give seemed in a number of ones,” said DC Pilling.