Overview

• Karl Davies, 42, was convicted on 17 offences and sentenced to 20 years in prison with a further five years on licence by Judge Hilary Manley.
• He is the first person convicted under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 for encouraging serious self-harm to a child.
• Prosecutors said he operated six Snapchat aliases over roughly a year to groom the girl, using threats and blackmail to obtain sexual images and videos.
• In June and July 2024 he picked the victim up from school and sexually assaulted her in his car on four occasions, with some abuse recorded.
• Police arrested him after the victim disclosed the abuse, and officers found incriminating video evidence on her phone.