Boy, 16, sentenced for encouraging self-harm online

A 16-year-old boy has been sentenced after encouraging other internet users - mainly teenage girls - to self-harm.

The teen, who was 14 at the time, used an online username to hide his identity while targeting victims, instructing them to harm themselves and send him images of what they had done that he then saved.

He pleaded guilty to encouraging self-harm and was convicted of downloading indecent images following a trial at Southampton Youth Court on 27 April.

He has been given an18-month youth rehabilitation order which includes restricting his internet use and having no access to devices after 22:00.

From his bedroom at home, the teenager had been speaking online to children as far away as the United States and encouraging them to self-harm.

Due to the cropped nature of the images found, it was not possible to establish how many victims there were, but investigators believe there were at least a dozen.

The case marks the first time Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has prosecuted someone for assisting or encouraging self-harm under the Online Safety Act 2023.

Dt Ch Inspector Matt Watson, of the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: "This is a landmark case for our force, and the investigation involved painstaking work looking through multiple devices to identify offences."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) built the case using messages recovered from the boy's phone and computer, which showed a pattern of encouraging and directing others to self-harm.

His personal computer and phone were seized and destroyed. Officers removed a games console from his address after he accessed accounts linked to the offences while on bail.

Lauren McConnell, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This defendant deliberately hid behind an online identity to manipulate and harm vulnerable people.

"The prosecution proved that he encouraged others into self harm over a 16-month period, whilst also downloading indecent images of children, causing serious harm through his online abuse."

She added that "the CPS will not hesitate to prosecute those who misuse the internet to exploit and harm others" and said crimes committed online can be just as damaging as those committed offline.