A MEMBER OF A PAEDOPHILE GROUP WHICH GROOMED AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITED TEENAGE GIRLS ONLINE HAS BEEN JAILED FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEAR
Over 100 girls, some as young as 12, were victims of abuse in the UK and abroad, often being coerced into recording themselves engaging in sexual activities, the court in Portsmouth was told.The criminal network, which used the Telegram messaging platform to sell explicit material, was uncovered by two undercover police officers, the court heard.
29-year-old Bradley Talbot from Portsmouth admitted charges including child exploitation, involvement in an organized crime group, distribution of indecent images, obstructing justice, and five counts of creating indecent images.
Prosecutor Jodie Mittell KC stated that at least 25% of the identified victims were from the UK, although many remained anonymous.
She explained: "Extreme control was exerted over the children so that some of them do not consider themselves to be victims." One girl, aged approximately 14 or 15, reportedly warned the group when police arrived at her parents’ residence in Scotland for an interview, the barrister added.
Following his arrest in December and a subsequent search in August 2024, Talbot deleted the Telegram app from his phone and discarded a hard drive.
Authorities discovered around 48,000 sexual images on Talbot’s devices, the court was told.
Defence lawyer Graham Gilbert explained that Talbot withdrew socially after family trauma at around age 12 or 13, spending most of his time isolated in his room using a computer.
Judge Daniel Sawyer clarified that Talbot served as a moderator within the group and was not involved in identifying or blackmailing victims.
Nonetheless, the judge noted that Talbot exploited a girl by suggesting a degrading act during a livestream.
The judge issued a sexual harm prevention order and mandated that Talbot remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
