ANTON ODY FROM THANET JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFERS IN DISTURBING ONLINE PREDATION

In April 2018, Anton Oddy, a man residing in Thanet, was sentenced to prison after engaging in a disturbing online campaign targeting vulnerable children. The case revealed that Oddy, aged 24 at the time, used social media platforms, including Facebook, to contact and manipulate young girls into sending him explicit images in exchange for large sums of money.

Over a span of approximately three months, Oddy systematically approached six girls, whose ages ranged from nine to 15 years old. He lured them into what he called a 'game,' which involved exchanging lewd photographs. The court heard that during these interactions, he offered sums of money from £200 up to £5,000 to persuade the girls to send him private images of themselves.

One particularly alarming incident involved a girl who disclosed her age as just nine years old. Prosecutor Richard Merz explained that Oddy initiated a conversation with her, asking if she wanted to 'play a game.' He then proceeded to ask invasive questions about her clothing and referred to her as 'sexybaby.' During this exchange, Oddy sent her an explicit image of his genitals and requested a photograph of her 'minnie,' a term he used to refer to her private parts.

Oddy admitted to six charges of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity. His actions were described as carefully planned and executed in a pattern that posed a significant risk of harm to children. Judge Heather Norton described him as a 'dangerous offender,' emphasizing the serious nature of his crimes and the threat he posed.

Further investigations revealed that Oddy had images of a sexual nature on his mobile phone. Police discovered that he had used multiple free Facebook profiles to communicate with minors. One such attempt involved a 13-year-old girl, whom he tried to bribe with £200 for explicit images, but she refused. He also contacted another nine-year-old girl, who responded with a firm rejection, telling him to 'F*** off, I am not just a silly child!'

In addition, Oddy made two separate offers of £5,000 to a 12-year-old girl for a ten-minute 'game' and asked for her phone number. He also approached a 15-year-old girl, offering her £200 in exchange for an explicit image. These actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior aimed at exploiting minors for sexual gratification.

As part of his sentence, Judge Heather Norton imposed a lifelong ban on Oddy using social media platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat. Additionally, he was ordered to remain on the Sex Offenders Register, reflecting the gravity of his offenses and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.