HELP! - My iPad has been lost and I have a PHOTO of the guy who might have it

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Hi everyone. To answer a few of your questions:

• The police have filed the case. Basically if they have no new leads, it's done and dusted unless some more evidence comes to light.
• The man, I'm actually less concerned about, I think the focus should now be on the girl and the dog (photos taken 3 hrs after the iPad went bye bye)
• The man could well live abroad, who knows, frankly, if nobody has identified him thus far, who cares because I'll probably never find him

Info on photos of the girl/dog

• Photos taken at 3:30pm on the day the iPad went missing (around midday) - so I'm pretty sure the person who took those photos took my iPad.
• They MUST live within a reasonable distance of Tesco - although they may have made a special trip to go shopping from Christmas which is a bit shit.
• I'd imagine they'd return to Tesco at some point.
• Girl and dog are fairly distinctive
• New build house by the looks of it - (a bit presumptuous)

Overall, the more I think about this, the more annoyed I get. I've now got a new iPad on insurance, so the having an iPad isn't a problem. I still want MY iPad back and the insurance company will be made aware if I do get it back.

The thing for me is that this could possibly be a mother/father showing their child it's ok to just pick something up and keep it. When I was a kid my Mum and Dad would have gone nuts if I'd have taken something like that. The thought of them flaunting it around a few hours after nicking it really gets my back up.

So, here's my plan:

• Email all primary schools in the area and ask if the headteacher recognises the girl - her family have a dog which might come with Mum on the school run so that might help. I won't ask for any information to be given to me - because they wont, I'll refer them to the police
• Posters in Tesco - I'm going to give them a call and ask if I can put up some posters somewhere - doubtful, but who knows.
• Wait it out. They haven't connected the device to the web since I locked it, when they do, I'll get an email notification and it will wipe. If they factory reset it, I have the serial number and know someone at Apple who can check whether the device has been registered to another Apple id. It's a bit of a bugger really, if I'd just let them use the device a little more I could have got a location. Now I've sent a wipe request it cannot be reversed. Bummer.

On a personal note, I'd really like to thank every one of you for taking such an interest and helping me. I was a wally who left my iPad at Tesco and I ended up being in two national papers, on the front page of Yahoo, the second most read article on the BBC website, top story on the regional news and Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby talked about me on This Morning. Literally MILLIONS of people would have seen those photos from a thread started on NSC just because a few people on here gave a shit.

But I'm not letting this go just yet.. Imagine how famous I could get if I DO get it back!!!

Thanks again everyone - I still can't really believe the response this has got x

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

A guy I'm friends with on Facebook said he was held for 6 hours while they looked for the photo of the bloke who looks nothing like him, I'd be worried Tom if it takes them that long to find the photo you gave them

Really? Christ

 

[Lush]

Going by the shutters/grass/rain puddles on the patio I just have a hunch that the photos were taken abroad.

Given the number of people from the EU living/working in Sussex it could easily have been someone visiting pre-Christmas. Called into Tesco on the way back to Gatwick/Channel ports. Opportunist crime. Friends/family here or abroad are unlikely to be looking at English newspapers/websites - and if they saw it I would imagine they are keeping schtum..

This could easily be why you've drawn a blank. Unfortunately the days of someone knowing everyone are long gone.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Going by the shutters/grass/rain puddles on the patio I just have a hunch that the photos were taken abroad.

Given the number of people from the EU living/working in Sussex it could easily have been someone visiting pre-Christmas. Called into Tesco on the way back to Gatwick/Channel ports. Opportunist crime. Friends/family here or abroad are unlikely to be looking at English newspapers/websites - and if they saw it I would imagine they are keeping schtum..

This could easily be why you've drawn a blank. Unfortunately the days of someone knowing everyone are long gone.

Thanks, but we've been talking about the photo of the bloke being abroad since the start - if no one has come forward now, it's unlikely they will.

It's not very likely that you bring your dog over if you're visiting though. The photos of the dog were taken on the same day as I've said above. They're the one's I'm trying to get more info on right now. The likelihood of the girl and the dog living within driving distance of Tesco is pretty high. So I'm now trying schools as we speak to see if they could help.

Incompatible Browser | Facebook

 

[cloud]

Wait it out. They haven't connected the device to the web since I locked it, when they do, I'll get an email notification and it will wipe. If they factory reset it, I have the serial number and know someone at Apple who can check whether the device has been registered to another Apple id. It's a bit of a bugger really, if I'd just let them use the device a little more I could have got a location. Now I've sent a wipe request it cannot be reversed. Bummer.

Let's hope whoever it was doesn't come on here, or else they will find out your cunning plan.

 

[wallyback]

Taking of insurance

Your guy looks remarkable like

 

[tedebear]

When you say left it at Tesco - what do you mean? Did you leave it in the trolley or something?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

When you say left it at Tesco - what do you mean? Did you leave it in the trolley or something?

Here's the thing. I have NO idea. I know for a fact that I had it when I left the store, it was in the kiddy seat of the trolley. After that I walked to the car, loaded the shopping into the boot, when I was finished, my girlfriend came over (after smoking a fag at the store entrance) and took the trolley back to the bay. We either both missed the bloody great ipad in the leather case, or someone swiped it as I had my face in the car. Edit: OR it's fallen out and neither of us noticed. The bottom line is that no matter what's happened, the person who found it in the car park didn't hand it in and they should have done.

Whatever the case, I've been an idiot - as mentioned in the first post.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

I don't know if you saw this already or if it helps but...

How to Track and Report Stolen iPad - Ipadastic!

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Going by the shutters/grass/rain puddles on the patio I just have a hunch that the photos were taken abroad.

Given the number of people from the EU living/working in Sussex it could easily have been someone visiting pre-Christmas. Called into Tesco on the way back to Gatwick/Channel ports. Opportunist crime. Friends/family here or abroad are unlikely to be looking at English newspapers/websites - and if they saw it I would imagine they are keeping schtum..

This could easily be why you've drawn a blank. Unfortunately the days of someone knowing everyone are long gone.

Next step Interpol ?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I don't know if you saw this already or if it helps but...

How to Track and Report Stolen iPad - Ipadastic!

Thanks, already done that sort of stuff. The only thing I haven't done is to register it on those stolen gadget sites. Might be worth it. Cheers

 

[Nottseagull]

It may be 'abroad', but still in the British Isles. Don't the Channel Islands have direct flights to Shoreham? Could have been someone flying over for an Xmas shopping trip. Maybe you should compare those lockers in the background with those at the said Brighton, Hove and Worthing Municipal Airport. If no joy, email the pic to the Guernsey/Jersey airports and ask if they recognize the scene. Better get a move on though, I know that Mansfield District CCTV tapes are wiped after 60 days.

 

[countrygull]

I think part of what's driving Tom on is the annoying, half hidden smirk on the face of the man in the photograph. It's almost Mona Lisa-like. Like he knows something that we don't (which he does of course). It's irksome.

 

[xenophon]

Have you caught this f***ing slink yet?

 

[Pbseagull]

Your guy looks remarkable like

Funnily enough the guy from the Churchill Ads lives In Brighton ( Preston park area)

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Funnily enough the guy from the Churchill Ads lives In Brighton ( Preston park area)

Is this him?

Think I've seen him taking a dump in Preston Park as well.

 

[Dalos]

Hate to say it Tom but isnt it time to give this hunt up.

I mean it was all a laugh last week and i genuinely do hope that you it back.

However i dont agree with you contemplating putting images up in tesco (or anywhere in the public domain) of the little girl. Just doesn't seem right to me.

The photos of the grown man yes, and the dog couldnt give a shit but leave the kid out of it. On that note i doubt many schools would ever even entertain the idea of emailing you back to tell you she goes to that school.

At the end of the day its a f***ing ipad, not a murder hunt.

 

[Fungus]

On that note i doubt many schools would ever even entertain the idea of emailing you back to tell you she goes to that school.

You need to re-read Tom's post.

 

[Dalos]

You need to re-read Tom's post.

Ok missed than sentence. However given the publicity this generated last week with zero leads, id be putting this issue to bed now. Yes its gutting, but let it go.

 

[leigull]

Ok missed than sentence. However given the publicity this generated last week with zero leads, id be putting this issue to bed now. Yes its gutting, but let it go.

And it affects you how exactly?