A teenage girl was forced into sending explicit pictures of herself to a “friend” who posed as a violent stranger on Facebook.
Under a fake identity, Jamie Harrison threatened the terrified girl that he would rape her and also “brick” her house and attack her family if she did not comply.
The 19-year-old was put behind bars for two years and eight months
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 17-year-old victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, turned to Harrison – who was a friend – for advice, not realising that he was actually the man pretending to be called James Carty.
She had accepted Carty as a ‘friend’ on Facebook in November 2014 as she wrongly thought she knew him from her childhood.
They chatted on Facebook and then he began asking for indecent photographs of her. He again contacted her again online three days later saying he would “brick” her home and attack her brother.
Michael Jones, prosecuting, said: “She became scared he would carry out the threats.”
She contacted Harrison for help and he told her that Carty “had been to prison for something really bad” and she should co-operate.
Carty then twice messaged her saying he would rape her if she did not send him pictures of herself.
Mr Jones said the victim felt forced into sending him photographs of herself half naked and he then insisted on a more explicit image and she agreed as long as he left her alone.
The 17-year-old told Harrison that she was going to tell the police but he warned her not to saying that Carty “did not like snitches”.
Meanwhile Harrison messaged her saying he could not talk to her any more and he was sorry.
He wrote: “I cannot say what it is but you haven’t done anything wrong.”
She blocked Carty on Facebook but then received a threatening message purportedly from a friend saying that unless she unblocked him the photographs would be distributed online.
The scared and distressed girl confided in her teacher and the police became involved and arrested Harrison.
This week Harrison, of Hathaway Close, Gateacre, pleaded guilty to inciting her to engage in sexual activity in November 2014.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Harrison, a former cadet with the army medical corps, has no previous convictions.
In an impact statement the girl said: “I turned to him first and I feel utterly betrayed by him. I am now far more cautious about meeting new friends and more wary of people.
“I have moved from being upset to feeling angry. I cannot believe what he did to me and am still trying to process it.”
Judge Anil Murray told Harrison, who was described as immature, that he had committed the offence for his own sexual gratification.
He made an indefinite restraining order and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order on Harrison for life.
Detective Chief Inspector Natalie Perischine from Liverpool CID’s Protecting Vulnerable People unit said: “Harrison’s twisted deception of his own friend has left her completely distraught by what he forced her to do.
“By posing as someone else to make the threats against her and her family he pressured her into a situation where she felt there was no way out.
“She sought help from Harrison not realising he was in fact the person behind the threats and Harrison completely betrayed that trust by encouraging her to do what the man online was demanding of her, which was to share explicit photos of herself with him.
“Thankfully she confided in her teachers and through the involvement of the police, Harrison was caught and revealed to be the person responsible for these threats and manipulation.
“I would like to use this appalling case of online sexual abuse as a stark reminder to young people never to share personal information or intimate images of themselves over the internet even with someone they know or think they know. In the wrong hands these photos can have a devastating impact on an innocent person’s life.
“If you find yourself being targeted, pressured or threatened to do this by anyone at all, please do the right thing and let your parents, teachers or the police know so that we can put a stop to it.”
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Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/