Ex-DJ Mark Page 'arranged sex with Philippine children'

Mark Page was a DJ at Radio 1 in the 1980s and more recently was a stadium announcer for Middlesbrough FC

An ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ tried to arrange sex with children as young as 12 in the Philippines, a court has heard.

Mark Page, who was on the station in the 1980s, "used charity and business as a cover" to meet youngsters, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Mr Page, 62, of Ingleby Barwick, denies five charges of arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

The court heard three offences were on webcams in 2016 and two in person after he travelled to the Philippines.

Jurors were told Facebook monitors raised concerns after finding messages which exploited children and they were sent to a charity that protects young people.

'Bargained down price'

The charity contacted UK law enforcement and Cleveland Police carried out a search warrant at Mr Page's home in January 2020.

Officers seized his phone, tablet and a computer tower, which were analysed, and showed Mr Page had been in contact with children in the Philippines and had arranged payments by money transfers, the court was told.

Mr Page, who is also a former stadium announcer at Middlesbrough FC, is accused of bargaining down the price to have a 13-year-old boy involved, saying in a message "3k too much for him", later making a payment of 2,000 Philippine pesos (about £30).

Mark Page denies the five charges against him

Jo Kidd, prosecuting, said Mr Page used the pseudonym Pancho on a Philippines-based dating app.

At the time he was managing director of Garrison FM, which provided radio services for the British Army, the court heard.

Mr Page is accused of sending explicit Skype messages to a girl in the Philippines, asking for a 12-year-old to join her.

He is also accused of asking for a boy to take part when he had travelled to the Philippines, and the final offence, in 2019, related to arranging a sexual encounter with a girl aged 13.

Ms Kidd said Mr Page denied being responsible for the comments, and that by implication, somebody else used his Skype account, his dating app account and that someone else arranged the payments.

The trial continues.