Shannon’s stepdad remanded on child porn charges

THE stepfather of Shannon Matthews was remanded in custody yesterday charged with possessing 140 pornographic images of children on two computers.

Craig Meehan, 22, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, appeared before a magistrate in Dewsbury, accused of 11 specimen offences of possession of indecent images of children.

He was arrested and charged on Wednesday, on the same day Shannon’s mother, Karen Matthews saw her daughter for the first time since her disappearance.

Nine-year-old Shannon went missing on February 19 and was discovered hidden in the base of a bed in a flat in Batley Carr, just 1.6km from her home in Dewsbury, after a 24-day search by police.

Yesterday, Magistrate Wayne Perriman remanded Meehan in custody until April 11.

Meehan entered the dock in handcuffs and sat, looking straight ahead, between two security guards throughout the 10-minute hearing. Wearing glasses, grey tracksuit bottoms and a black Manchester United shirt, he spoke only to confirm his name, address and age.

The images were found on two computers recovered from Meehan’s address in Dewsbury Moor, where he has lived with Ms Matthews for about five years.