‘Catfish’ who posed as 14-year-old boy to target dozens of girls as young as 11 in campaign of blackmail and sexual abuse is jailed for 14 years
Pozing as a 14 -year -old child to target girls under 11 years of age, ‘an extremely dangerous sex hunter’ was imprisoned for 14 years today.
22 -year -old Stuart Latham targeted a ‘young and vulnerable’ daughters in the UK and abroad in an internet grooming and blackmail campaign that promised them to cash and gift cards.
From Wigan in Greater Manchester, Latham used a gift card for ‘advertising’ or victims to send him sexualized inappropriate images in Snapchat.
Prosecutor Alison Mather said that if the victims refused to send more than the photos he requested to him, he threatened to publish images online.
Latham was sentenced to eight years in prison for 49 rape crimes, making inappropriate images, making children participate in sexual behavior, having extreme pornography and blackmail against 39 victims.
Mather told the court that the police could not define 48 more children with images on Latham’s house, but that there was no accusation because the police wanted to place Latham in the courts as soon as possible.
The court told the court that most of the crimes were committed when Latham was accused of bail for the rape of a 12 -year -old girl whom he met in an appointment application and made sex.
Latham convinced the girl he was 15 years old and tricked to think that they were a man and his girlfriend. However, suspicion increased by a child welfare service and the police were warned.
Stuart Latham (above), grooming and blackmail internet campaign in England and abroad ‘young and vulnerable’ daughters after targeting for 14 years has been imprisoned
The images of Greater Manchester Police show that Latham is stuck by the police
Ms. Mather said that the police seized her phone after being arrested on suspicion of rape and found that she was in contact with children in the UK and abroad.
He said: ‘He used his phone to record his conversations. At the same time he spoke to more than one child and moved between speeches. He said he would offer £ 200 to send their photos or videos naked.
‘The images clearly came from young children and sent them photos of a 14 -year -old child.’
The court heard that the police found a second device in which the police used a similar Snapchat ‘ad to attract more victims.
Judge Philip Parry told Latham: ‘You are an extremely dangerous individual. You are guilty of sex, you are guilty of empathy or regret for young girls who are in orbit and who are sexually exploited or danger of abuse by you.
The attitude towards sexual crimes shows that there is an important risk for the significant damage to the people. You deliberately targeted young girls and most of the crimes were committed on bail. ‘
Pre -match reports pose a high risk for young girls Latham and ‘to make more manipulative efforts to facilitate sexual grooming of their victims’.
The judge said that Latham continued to be accused of bail because he knew he was in trouble and believed he could not be in a worse situation ‘.
Latham was removed from a property behind a police car after being arrested
In the report, Latham said that he had manipulated his victims with aggression and threat to some degree.
The judge paid tribute to two of the victims who came to court to give personal statements.
He said to them: ‘You are very brave and the court is definitely very happy that you can dig deep to endure what you say. With your courage, you helped to reveal his inferiority and manipulative behavior. You beat him and you should be proud of yourself. ‘
The court heard a series of victims’ expressions.
The mother of a victim said: ‘This man’s behavior in targeting girls when they are vulnerable is disgusting.’
The mother of the 12 -year -old child who was raped: ‘The influence of the actions was destructive. I feel anger and anger that I let it happen. ‘
Another mother said: ‘He disgusted that someone could go so long to deceive and deceive so many young girls. He ruined people’s lives, and that makes me sick. ‘
Another added: ‘He is a sexual hunter and it is terrible to do it to children. How could he do this to so many children? ‘
Mather said that the crimes took place between May 2022 and March 2024 when Latham was between the ages of 19-21.
Defense Nicholas Clarke said Latham showed the ‘immature and naive element’.
The authority added: ‘Emotional control shows a maturity of not being able to appreciate the results of the issues of restriction and actions.’
