A Bolton man blackmailed boys into sending sexual pictures and videos of themselves to him. 

Ben Thompson, aged 22, messaged multiple boys over a six month period. 

Thompson, of The Woodlands, Lostock, exchanged sexual messages with them, encouraged some to perform sexual acts on themselves and solicited sexual photos and videos from some. 

He was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on May 31 for his crimes, which he had previously pleaded guilty to. 

The court heard how he posed as a girl of a similar age to his victims in order to solicit the material, as well as threatening and "blackmailing" them. 

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC heard how Thompson was arrested on November 12, 2020, when he was aged 19. 

One of his victims told his mother about the messages and she told the police. 

They tracked the IP address back to Thompson. When he was arrested, they found 107 indecent images of children. 

Judge Clarke referred to the evidence of prosecuting barrister, Isabelle Haddad. 

He said: "Over six months, there were 150 chats identified where you were undertaking sustained trawling with a number of boys you might entice to cooperate in revealing themselves in ever more sexually explicit ways to you. 

"You always pretended to be around the same age and a female. You always pretended to be a year older, a calculated move to entice boys who then might come under your malign influence. 

"It is clear that during the time of your offending, your behaviour escalated, becoming more prescriptive. 

"You also started to become more menacing in your approach to the boys." 

To one boy, Thompson said "don't block me, you will regret it". 

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He also "threatened to forward images" one boy had sent him to other people. 

Thompson was also said to have encouraged a meeting for an "underwear trade", posing as the girl, although that meeting did not happen. 

Judge Clarke said: "You created a fake Instagram account posing as the girl, only having sexual communications, all of them believed they were communicating with a female of a similar age to themselves."

He gave details of over 20 of the counts, highlighting Thompson's pattern of behaviour.

This included 'inciting a child to engage in sexual activity'.

Thompson, posing as the girl, encouraged the boy to perform a sexual act.

Thompson also instructed boys to perform sexual acts.

Judge Clarke said: "A young boy  felt so bad about what was happening to him, he said 'you make me feel like killing myself and I feel really uncomfortable'."

Judge Clarke made reference to the mitigation of defence barrister Rosalind Scott Bell. 

He said it cannot be "in any way" said that Thompson was lacking in maturity, having been to university and working as a paralegal. 

Judge Clarke added: "I am fully aware of the isolation you have felt in becoming aware of your own sexuality and in the aftermath of these offences coming to light. 

"It must have had a huge impact on you and your family." 

He also acknowledged a "significant delay" in proceedings, and voiced how he was not sure how it had taken from November 2020 to May 2024 for Thompson to reach the point of being sentenced. 

Judge Clarke jailed him for four years.

 

Thompson was also made subject to a notification requirement and a barring order for the rest of his life. 

A sexual harm prevention order was also put in place, which restricts computer use, use of social media and interactions with children in the future, as well as other details. 

It was put in place for 10 years.

Police say their Digital Investigation Unit found over two million images on his devices, with over one thousand indecent images and videos he had extorted from children.

Detective Sergeant Matt Quayle from Bolton’s Child Protection Investigation Unit said: “I would like to thank our victims and survivors who showed immense courage by coming forward to police and providing vital evidence to secure Thompson’s conviction.

“Thompson is a calculated and depraved individual who coerced teenage boys into sexual behaviour for his own perverse sexual gratification. When they didn’t comply, he sent them vile threats which we know had a huge impact on the young victims and their mental health.

“We know how uncomfortable it can be to make reports of this nature, but I would urge anyone who has been affected by this case or suspects their child may have been targeted by this social media account, please come forward and report this to us.

“You are not alone, you are not to blame, and we have specially trained officers and partners who will support you.”