Snapchat Groomer Jailed for Abducting Vulnerable Schoolgirl

Brandon Mason, 19, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for abducting a vulnerable schoolgirl and creating indecent images of her.

Mason, from Birmingham, admitted to grooming the girl through Snapchat, persuading her to send him sexualized images and encouraging her to run away from her home in Flintshire, north Wales.

The pair traveled 100 miles together by train before being apprehended by police in Birmingham in September 2022.

The court heard that Mason had no prior convictions but a history of mental health issues. Judge Nicola Saffman stated that Mason had manipulated the girl, who was "enthralled" by him and did not disclose everything that had happened to the police.

The judge emphasized that Mason had incited the girl to create indecent images and even encouraged her to self-harm. She also highlighted that it had taken months to begin to repair the damage inflicted upon the victim.

In addition to his prison sentence, Mason was issued with indefinite restraining and sexual harm prevention orders.