Man Posed as Young Girl and Extorted Intimate Photos from Thousands of Children

A 36-year-old British man, David Wilson, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for extorting intimate photographs from minors. According to The Guardian, more than 50 children were victimized by his actions.

Wilson created fake accounts and posed as a young girl, engaging with boys aged 4 to 14. He then asked the children to send him their intimate photos. Once in possession of the images, he began to blackmail the boys, threatening to share the photographs if they did not comply with his demands. Some of Wilson's victims reportedly attempted suicide.

The publication states that over a four-year period, 500 children sent photos to Wilson, with more than 5,000 being targeted in his schemes. The court found him guilty of 96 offenses against 52 children.

Wilson was apprehended thanks to Facebook's security system, which detected suspicious activity related to his search for victims. He was arrested in 2017, but was later released on bail. It took police three years to gather evidence to substantiate the Briton's guilt. The report notes that he committed most of his crimes after being released on bail.