Overview

• Mark Ling, a 39-year-old former Essex Police officer, used his daughter's phone to pose as teenage personas on TikTok and Snapchat to groom 12 schoolgirls aged 12 to 14.
• Ling coerced victims into sending explicit images by exploiting viral 'loyalty tests,' a social media trend testing relationship faithfulness.
• He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of sexual communication with a child and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, resulting in a reduced sentence of 4½ years.
• Ling is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and has been added to the sex offenders register following his sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court.
• Essex Police continue to investigate Ling's conduct, while victims report lasting harm to their trust in law enforcement and their social and academic lives.