Man Jailed for 18 Years for Sexually Abusing and Threatening Girls Online

Christopher Osborne, 38, of Melville Avenue, Doncaster, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing and threatening two teenage girls. Osborne befriended one victim, who was 15 and lived in the US, and then went on to send her violent messages and force her to send him explicit videos.

The victim, along with another girl who was also targeted by Osborne, reported the abuse to their local police in the US. This led to Osborne's arrest in 2016.

South Yorkshire Police conducted an international investigation and were able to identify Osborne through his online IP address and chat group name. An analysis of his chat logs with the victims revealed that Osborne had threatened to post the images and videos online, "ruining their lives" if they did not comply with his demands.

During his initial interview, Osborne admitted to the offences but claimed he did not believe the girls were the ages they claimed to be. Initially, it was decided that he would be tried in the US, but in 2021, a hearing ruled that he would be charged in the UK.

Despite initially pleading guilty, Osborne changed his plea in October. However, a special hearing in February upheld his original guilty pleas. In addition to his prison sentence, Osborne will also remain on extended license for five years and will be placed on the sex offender register for life.