UK NEWS

SHANNON’S STEPFATHER REMANDED

Craig Meehan has been remanded in custody

Thursday April 3,2008

By Nicola McCafferty for express.co.uk

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THE stepfather of kidnapped schoolgirl Shannon Matthews was remanded in custody today after being charged with possessing child pornography.

Craig Meehan, 22, appeared at Dewsbury Magistrates Court this morning facing 11 charges of possessing 140 indecent images of children.

He will remain in police custody until April 11 when he will reappear at the court.

Meehan lives with Shannon’s mother Karen Matthews – who is 10 years his senior - at Moorside Road in Dewbury Moor, West Yorkshire.

Shannon disappeared on her way home from a school swimming trip on February 19.

Shannon was found one mile from her home

She was discovered 24 days later at the house of Meehan’s uncle in Batley Carr – just one mile from her home.

Michael Donovan, 39, of Lidgate Gardens, Dewsbury, was later charged with Shannon’s kidnapping and imprisonment.

His trial has been provisionally set for November 11 at Leeds Crown Court.

Shannon has not returned home since she was found.

The court heard today that the sick images were found on two computers recovered from Meehan’s address in Dewsbury Moor.

Sources said the indecent images that prompted yesterday’s arrest did not involve any of the Matthews children.

Fishmonger Meehan has lived with mother-of-seven Karen Matthews at Shannon’s home for around five years.

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SUSPICIOUS FROM DAY 1

08.04.08, 1:48pm

There was something fishy about this missing case in the first place because just look at the family they are not perfect because the mother had 7 children with five different men’s and Shannon was not really happy in the first place and she wanted to go to her biological father. I feel that Shannon needs to be looked after by the social services for now, so she can be safe and so meanwhile the investigators can get to the bottom to this fishy case, I think this was a set up to get money and how can he be a "good" father if he posses child pornography pictures it shows what kind of family this was, a really dysfunctional and uneducated family. I hope from this incident Shannon gets a safe and secure future and a bright one and I hope she does not turn out to be like her mother and to become a useful person to the society like becoming an educated person and knowing the moral and the respect in life.

• Posted by: zarah • Report Comment

STEPFATHER???

04.04.08, 9:56am

Again i ask why do the media insist on calling this man Shannons stepfather?? He is not her stepfather,he is her mothers boyfriend. I hope that all children in this family are assessed and that they all recieve whatever help they need. Children are our most precious asset.

• Posted by: isis • Report Comment

SHANNON

04.04.08, 12:36am

I hope this little 9 year old gets all the help she has clearly needed for a long long time along with her step/half/ siblings.

Why do you call Craig Meehan Shannon's ''stepfather'' as he is no such thing, he is simply her mother's current - or now ex- boyfriend if news reports are to believed. This is not a 'family' at all, but a dysfunctional unit.

He was never and is not now, her 'stepfather' .... so why say this? The man who is in custody for abducting her is not her 'stepfather's' uncle, he is her mother's ex boyfriend's uncle. NOT a family relationship in any way, shape nor form.

This is mis-reportng....again.

This is not a FAMILY abduction. 'THEY ARE IN NO WAY RELATED AT ALL TO SHANNON. IT IS HER MOTHER'S CURRENT EX-BOYFRIEND - NO MORE NO LESS. ONE OF MANY.

• Posted by: janegt • Report Comment

SPORTYSNAPPER

03.04.08, 11:00pm

maybe he's not asked for bail because the whole country knows his face

• Posted by: Martha • Report Comment

DOUBLE STANDARDS

03.04.08, 9:06pm

If this man has been caught in possession of child pornography it is only right that he be charged, however what I cannot understand is how he can be held in custody for this offense when they let murderers out on bail.

• Posted by: sportysnapper • Report Comment