He is said to have sexually blackmailed around 3,500 children online worldwide. A man has been sentenced to life in prison in Northern Ireland. The 26-year-old must remain in prison for at least 20 years, as the British news agency PA reported.
British media speak of one of the largest cases of “catfishing”: The man posed as a teenager on portals such as Snapchat from 2015 to 2019. He pretended to be friends with girls and persuaded them to send photos of their naked upper bodies. He then blackmailed her into carrying out sexualized acts.
Background: One in eight girls worldwide is raped or experiences sexual violence
Victims from around 30 countries
From a bedroom in his parents’ house, he had contact with victims from around 30 countries. The man targeted young girls who were vulnerable or unsure about their sexual identities or bodies.
At Belfast Crown Court he admitted 185 offenses involving 70 victims, including manslaughter, blackmail and distributing inappropriate images of children. One of his victims committed suicide. He wanted to blackmail the 12-year-old from the USA into forcing her younger sister to perform sexual acts in front of a web camera, PA reported.
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Investigators assume 3,500 victims
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“He is estimated to have caused serious and long-lasting harm to around 3,500 children and their families,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan. The investigators were not able to identify all the victims and therefore were only able to bring some of the cases to court.
