A man has admitted a vast ‘catfishing’ enterprise which involved the targeting of multiple child victims who were blackmailed into sending indecent images.
The defendant, who is aged in his twenties but cannot be named at this time, appeared in the dock of Dungannon Crown Court charged with a total of 56 charges, comprising 36 counts of possessing indecent child images, four of possessing prohibited child images, three of blackmail, three of child sexual communication, four of encouraging the making of indecent child images and two of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
There are also two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images and single counts each of attempted child sexual communication, as well as incitement and distribution of indecent child images.
The victims were all male children, some of whom were blackmailed.
Offending related to two separate times, the first being uncovered in March 2022 and it is alleged, while this was under investigation, the second set of offences occurred between April and July 2023.
A further five charges were not put to the defendant at this stage as these are subject to discussions with the Public Prosecution Service.
Defence counsel requested pre-sentence reports and advised a number of other assessments are to be carried out.
Victim impact statements will also be obtained and the defendant was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register.
Prosecution council reminded the court the defendant is now a convicted sex-offender and pointed to the option to remand in custody.
Listing sentencing for May 23, Judge Brian Sherrard said: “While sands have shifted, I feel there are some benefits to (defendant) remaining on bail at this time, however, that is no indication of how he will be sentenced.”
He ordered the defendant to reside at an address approved by police and is banned from all access to internet-enabled devices and phones.
There must be no contact with the victims nor any children unless approved by Social Services.
When the case first reached court a detective sergeant explained a report was received from Greater Manchester Police in July last year after the mother of an 11-year-old boy found suspicious messages on his phone.
The profile claimed to be a 12-year-old girl and the messages began with discussions around PlayStation games but then became “sinister, with sexual content”.
The mother obtained the profile number and on ringing it, quickly established it was not a 12-year-old girl.
Police ascertained the number was the defendant’s who was on bail while enquiries into similar investigations were underway.
The detective said once made aware of the new allegations police attended the defendant’s home to arrest him, however he, “threw himself over the banister of a staircase in an attempt to flee, then assaulted three officers.”
His phone was seized and a number of indecent images were recovered of the victim.
There was evidence of engagement with other children and some images obtained have been distributed.
It emerged the accused sent the boy a £20 voucher for a PlayStation game in return for sexual images.
In other messages, he blackmailed the victims by threatening to kill himself if images weren’t sent.
He also claimed to have cancer and discussed having sex with other young people.
The detective said: “He has now come to attention a few times for this sort of crime, commonly known as catfishing, which is very compulsive behaviour and a vast enterprise.
“He lived with his parents under bail conditions, but this didn’t stop him. While on bail he set himself up a new profile claiming to be a 12-year-old girl. The messages show a high level of coercion and exerting of pressure on some of the most vulnerable in society.”
While police opposed bail it was granted in very strict terms with an interim ban imposed on reporting the accused’s identity due to concerns for his safety.
