British man jailed for online abuse of 117 underage girls

A 20-year-old man in Britain has been sentenced to two years in prison for a shocking case of online sexual and psychological abuse targeting underage girls. Justin Swaddle, from Leeds, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court for abusing 117 victims aged 13 to 17 across various countries.

Swaddle, who was only 17 when he committed many of the offenses, used platforms such as Discord, Telegram, and Snapchat to approach his victims. According to the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), he would first gain the girls' trust before collecting personal information and private material. He then used this information to extort them.

Investigators found Swaddle had contacted 117 girls, eight of whom were in Britain. The case took a more disturbing turn when authorities found photos of victims with self-harm injuries in his possession. Some girls had carved Swaddle's online pseudonyms, such as 'Epstein,' 'Rugen,' and 'Moscow,' into their skin, according to Sky News.

One 17-year-old victim reported meeting Swaddle on Discord in November 2022, with their communication moving to Snapchat and becoming sexual. Swaddle allegedly requested nude photos and pressured her to carve his online name onto her body. After obtaining her personal details, including her name, address, and school, he threatened to release them if she didn't send more photos and videos. The victim also discovered he had recorded their sexual calls and shared them with others.

Swaddle was part of a "Com group," an online network where extreme and violent material is circulated, and members manipulate victims for sexual and violent abuse. The NCA described Swaddle as a "dangerous offender" who targeted vulnerable girls worldwide, terrorizing them into self-harm and sexual acts. His devices also contained indecent images of children as young as three.

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dangerous offender