Adoption “Success” Turns MONSTER

A judge's hand holding a gavel above a wooden block

A British court has exposed a horrific case where a gay adoptive couple tortured and murdered their 13‑month‑old baby boy after the system handed him over as a “success story.”

Story Snapshot

A jury in England found teacher Jamie Varley guilty of murdering his adopted 13‑month‑old son, Preston Davey.
Varley’s partner, John McGowan‑Fazakerley, was convicted of allowing Preston’s death and of child cruelty and sexual assault.
Doctors found about 40 internal and external injuries on Preston’s tiny body, including wounds consistent with forcible sexual abuse.
Prosecutors said the men chose Preston from an adoption website, then used him as a “plaything” for months before killing him.

How a “Dream Adoption” Turned Into a Nightmare of Abuse

British media report that high school teacher Jamie Varley, age 37, and his partner, finance worker John McGowan‑Fazakerley, age 32, adopted baby Preston in April 2023 after he was advertised on an adoption site.^[1] For four months, the couple were treated as a modern “two‑dad” success story while social workers saw the child and, according to one report, raised “no hint” of concern about his safety.^[1] Behind closed doors, prosecutors say, life for Preston was turning into torture.

Court evidence showed Preston was routinely mistreated during those months in the couple’s Blackpool home. Jurors heard that the men indecently filmed and photographed the baby, sexually abused him, and physically assaulted him again and again.^[2] One prosecutor told the jury that Preston was treated as a “plaything” for the “amusement” of the defendants, not as a son to love and protect. By July, Preston was dead, and the men were spinning a story about a bath time accident.

The Bath Story the Jury Did Not Believe

On the day Preston died, Varley told police and medics that the baby had accidentally drowned in the bathtub after he left him alone for a few minutes.^[2] Varley repeated that account in court and swore he had never harmed Preston, even saying he would “fight” the accusations “to the day I die.” But hospital staff noted details that did not match a drowning, and later, a post‑mortem examination flatly ruled out drowning as the cause of death.

Medical experts told the court that Preston arrived at the hospital in cardiac arrest and that his hair and body were not wet, which clashed with Varley’s description of pulling him from bathwater. The post‑mortem found that Preston died from acute blockage of his upper airway, either from smothering or from objects forced into his mouth.^[2] Jurors also saw a disturbing phone video of Varley shouting at Preston to keep him awake, filmed days before the boy’s collapse, which prosecutors said was staged to mislead doctors about his health.^[2]

Forty Injuries and Evidence of Sexual Sadism

The most shocking evidence came from the post‑mortem report. The pathologist documented about 40 external and internal injuries on Preston’s body, including trauma “consistent with forcible penetration” and sexual abuse.^[1] Jurors heard that the baby had been indecently photographed and filmed by the men who were supposed to protect him.^[2] Prosecutors argued that Preston’s final injuries happened after a sexual assault so violent that it triggered the airway obstruction that killed him.^[2]

Varley denied assaulting or sexually abusing Preston and claimed he was only “a little rough” at times as a stressed caregiver. The jury did not accept that explanation. After a seven‑week trial, they found Varley guilty of murder, assault by penetration, child cruelty, and offences involving indecent images.^[2] They found McGowan‑Fazakerley guilty of allowing Preston’s death, sexual assault of a child, and child cruelty, concluding he knew the boy was in danger and failed to act.

What This Says About Social Services, Adoption, and Children’s Safety

This case raises hard questions for child‑protection systems that fast‑track “progressive” placements but miss clear dangers. Reports say Preston was seen by health and social workers whose job was to spot red flags, yet they reported “no hint” of concern before his death.^[1] Legal experts note that some children are placed with abusive or predatory adults when agencies fail to properly screen or follow up on adoptive homes. The result can be exactly what happened here: a baby handed from one unsafe situation into another deadly one.

Research on abuse in families shows that almost half of reported child sexual abuse in England and Wales happens in the family setting, including with adoptive or step‑parents. Studies also show that adoptive and foster placements can carry higher risks of stress and breakdown, which, when mixed with poor oversight, can expose children to serious harm. The point is not that adoption is bad, but that systems obsessed with box‑ticking and ideology often fail at the most basic duty: protect the child first, and celebrate social narratives later.