TYLER WEBB

A man has become the first individual sentenced under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 for inciting serious self-harm online.

Tyler Webb, 22, received a total prison sentence of nine years and four months, part of which will be served in a hospital due to his mental health issues.

Webb used the messaging app Telegram to repeatedly urge a vulnerable 22-year-old woman to harm herself, eventually pressuring her to take her own life during a video call so he could watch.

He told her she had no reason to live and provided methods for suicide.

On May 9, at Leicester Crown Court, Webb pleaded guilty to charges of encouraging both self-harm and suicide.

Today, after considering arguments from both prosecution and defence, and taking into account his guilty plea and sentencing guidelines, the court sentenced him to eight years and two months in prison for encouraging suicide.

He was also given an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim.

An additional one year and two months were added for the self-harm charge, to run consecutively, making a total sentence of nine years and four months.

Alex Johnson, a specialist crown prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, said Webb deliberately targeted a vulnerable woman, knowing she was likely to comply with his harmful suggestions.

Although his actions did not result in her death, the consequences were deeply serious.

In one instance, the woman passed out during a video call while following his instructions.

In another, she cut herself and sent him a photo of the injury.

On July 2, 2024, during a 44-minute call, he persistently urged her to try again to end her life.

When she refused, he threatened to block her.

The victim eventually reported him to police, leading to his arrest at his home in Loughborough by Leicestershire Police.

Because of Webb’s mental health condition, his sentence includes a hybrid hospital order, meaning he will begin his sentence in a medical facility for treatment before being transferred to prison.

Detective Constable Lauren Hampton, who led the investigation, described the case as both disturbing and alarming.

She said Webb took advantage of a woman who was seeking support online, gained her trust, and then subjected her to relentless and dangerous demands.

She praised the victim’s bravery in coming forward, saying her actions likely protected others from being harmed.

This case marked the first time anyone has been prosecuted under the new Online Safety Act for encouraging serious self-harm.

The charge of encouraging suicide, already a criminal offence since 1961, also required personal approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson.