A married father from Merseyside has made grim legal history as the first person jailed in the UK under the new Online Safety Act for encouraging a child to self-harm. Karl Davies crafted six fake online identities to groom and abuse a 13-year-old schoolgirl, leading to a 20-year prison sentence handed down at Manchester Crown Court.
Elaborate Catfish Web Tricks Police
Davies began targeting the young victim in October 2023, initially posing as a teenage boy named “Ben” on Discord and Snapchat. He would later introduce five more fake accounts, playing different characters to confuse and control her. Detectives at first believed six different men were involved, but all the personas were revealed to be Davies himself.
- Some fake “men” threatened the girl, while others “warned” her against the threats — creating a twisted circle of manipulation.
- They coerced her into sending sexual photos and videos, then pressured her to self-harm and document it.
“He was putting her in a position where she was scared,” said Detective Sergeant Rob Griffiths, who led the investigation. “Ultimately it was all Karl Davies, and this was just a sophisticated way of controlling a young girl.”
‘Saviour’ Persona Deepens Control, Abuse Goes Offline
One persona, “Mark,” acted as a supposed ‘saviour’, offering to protect her from the other fake characters and reinforcing Davies’s grip. This classic grooming tactic made the girl feel trapped and dependent.
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More from Chester Crown Court
View all Chester Crown Court coverage
- Brutal Abuser Locked Up for Nearly Four Years After Torturing Woman and Running Dating App Scams
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- Two Dealers Jailed for Peddling Cocaine, Heroin & Cannabis in Congleton
- Woman’s Final Diary Pages Torn Out Before Suicide, Court Told
- Neston Man Locked Up for Peddling Class A Cocaine
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