A woman who sexually abused a young girl and fantasised with her boyfriend about kidnapping a child and keeping them as their “sex slave” has admitted breaching an order designed to protect children from her.
Evil Danielle Schofield, 40, was locked up in 2021 alongside her then-partner Robert Stanley after officers discovered their sick fantasy. In August 2019 Stanley and Schofield, from Dewsbury, had a video call in which Schofield sexually abused an eight-year-old girl.
Stanley took screenshots of the abuse for his gratification after he encouraged and incited Schofield. The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched an investigation in April 2020 after intelligence indicated that Stanley had accessed horrific child abuse videos. NCA officers arrested Stanley, of Feenan Highway, Tilbury, Essex, at Schofield’s home in Centenary Square, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire on April 23, 2020.
Forensic examination of Stanley’s mobile phone showed he had sent Schofield a Category B indecent image of a child on May 6, 2019. She was arrested two weeks later.
NCA officers uncovered disturbing conversations between the pair from April 19, 2019, to March 31, 2020, in which they talked about child abuse, and also discussed alleged previous abuse of the girl and plotted future abuse.
There was evidence that Stanley had four Category B images on his phone including two screenshots he took of the video call where Schofield abused the eight-year-old girl who NCA officers identified and safeguarded. At Bradford Crown Court, Stanley was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Schofield for three years and four months.
As part of her sentence, Schofield was made the subject of notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The order prohibited her from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.
She appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, November 4, where she admitted breaching the order and failing to comply with notification requirements. The breach of the order was said to have taken place between March and September 2024, and the breach of the notification requirements took place in July this year.
The court heard she had been working with “Helping Hands,” which supports adults of all ages to live independently. Kara Firth, for Schofield told the court: “She didn’t know they were under 18 and is not sure if there was a DBS check.”
His Honour Judge Crowson adjourned the hearing for a sentencing on December 9. He told the court: “There is potential for her not to understand that.”
Addressing Schofield, the judge said: “You pleaded guilty and your lawyers have helped the court understand what you have been doing. That is probably the basis of what you will be sentenced. The Prosecution hasn’t had chance to look at it yet… They may say they are happy to for you to be sentenced on the basis of what is in the document.
“The Probation Service will prepare a report to help them and help yourself.”
Schofield will be sentenced on December 9.