TEEN JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING 37 GIRLS ONLINE
A teenaged male has been sentenced to an eight-year prison term after pleading guilty to sexually abusing 37 girls through online platforms.Cory Jones, aged 19 and from Treorchy in Rhondda Cynon Taf, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where he admitted to 69 criminal charges, including blackmail, inducing children to perform sexual acts, and sharing indecent images.
The offences occurred between 2022 and 2024 and involved victims aged from 10 to 16 years.
The presiding judge, Jeremy Jenkins, stated that the case demonstrates the risks associated with children having unsupervised social media access.
Jones was also ordered to be on the Sexual Harm Prevention Order list and to remain on the Sex Offenders Register permanently.
Court testimony detailed how Jones would establish contact with victims, subsequently gaining their trust before encouraging them to send explicit photos and videos.
When some victims refused further engagement, he reportedly blackmailed them into providing additional sexual content by threatening to post their previous images online.
He also sent sexual images and videos of himself to the young girls.
Following his arrest, police uncovered 172 indecent images of children on his mobile device.
Communication between Jones and the victims primarily occurred via Snapchat, where he sometimes used false identities and lied about his age, attempting to persuade girls to send nude photos and videos.
Prosecutor James Wilson described the victims’ feelings as "sick," "betrayed," and "creeped out" during Jones’s demands for explicit images.
One victim, aged 12 at the time of the abuse, shared that she initially felt nervous and upset, worried about being discovered and treated differently, but has since received counselling and still struggles to discuss her experience.
Another girl said she believed Jones was her friend and trusted him, feelings now replaced with regret for trusting someone who manipulated her.
Defense lawyer John Ryan asked the court to consider Jones’s youth and lack of maturity, emphasizing his remorse.
Judge Jenkins remarked that Jones, described as a socially isolated "loner," had been "corrupted" by pornography, which distorted his understanding of relationships.
Det Insp Stuart Prendiville condemned Jones for intentionally targeting young women online and employing deceptive and manipulative tactics.
He noted that exploiting children for sexual gratification highlights serious online dangers and urged continued vigilance.
The officer expressed empathy for the victims and hoped the conviction would bring them some degree of closure.
Police reaffirmed their commitment to fighting such exploitation and praised the bravery of those who came forward.
Lisa McCarthy from the Crown Prosecution Service stated that Jones’s behaviour was manipulative and coercive, with him blackmailing children into sexual acts under threat of social media exposure.
The investigation was described as substantial and complex, revealing a distressing number of young victims.
