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Shannon Matthews' stepdad arrested by police
The stepfather of Shannon Matthews was arrested today on suspicion of possessing hundreds of indecent images of children.
Craig Meehan, 22, was arrested at his and Shannon's home in Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor at 9am today by officers who had investigated the disappearance of the nine-year-old.
Shannon's stepdad tells YEP hours before arrest - 'Life was returning to normal': Click here for full story.
Today's development came on the day that Karen Matthews, 32, was due to have a second meeting with her daughter Shannon - who is still being looked after by a foster family.
The YEP has been informed that Social Services bosses have spent the last few days arranging for the visit to take place - at an undisclosed location.
However, that reunion has now been put on hold in light of the arrest of Karen's partner.
The YEP has also learned that detectives probing Shannon's 24 day disappearance are still interviewing the youngster. They are anxious to establish exactly what happened to her during the time she was missing. However, detectives are able to interview her for only short periods at a time because of her tender age, and the delicate nature of the questioning.
In an official statement over today's arrest, West Yorkshire Police said: "During inquiries by the Shannon Matthews investigation team, the contents of a number of computers have been examined. As a result, police today arrested a 22-year-old man from the Dewsbury Moor area on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
"He is currently being questioned at a West Yorkshire police station."
The YEP understands that the images being examined are not of Shannon or of any of the Matthews children.
Shannon disappeared on February 19 and was found on the March 14 at the home of her stepfather's uncle, in Batley Carr, less than a mile from her home in Dewsbury Moor.
The uncle, Michael Donovan, 39, has been charged with kidnap and false imprisonment. He is currently remanded in custody and is expected to face trial in November this year.
The disappearance of Shannon sparked the biggest police search in West Yorkshire since the days of the Yorkshire Ripper. More than 200 officers and a team of 80 detectives were involved in the search for the youngster, who disappeared after an after-school swimming trip to Dewsbury Baths.
The search, which involved specialist body search dogs, the force helicopter and specialist units, came to its dramatic end when Shannon was found, safe and apparently well at Donovan's home in Lidgate
Gardens, in Batley Carr.
Shannon is still being looked after by a family of foster carers and has had only one sight of her mother Karen, 32, since she disappeared. That happened last month although Shannon was not allowed to have physical contact with her mum because of fears of contaminating evidence.
Mum Karen has seven children by five different fathers. Her current partner, Craig Meehan has been with Karen for five years. He is the father of Karen's youngest child, Courtney, aged two.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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