Tech Addict Jailed for Hacking Teen Girls' Snapchat Accounts

Robert Parsons, 22, has been sentenced to five years in prison followed by a four-year licence period for hacking into the Snapchat accounts of teenage girls and attempting to bribe them into sending him naked pictures.

Parsons, who admitted to 24 offences, targeted girls between the ages of 14 and 19, using various methods to gain access to their accounts, including posing as a 14-year-old boy.

The court heard that Parsons "toyed" and "teased" his victims, leaving them feeling frightened and embarrassed. In one case, he even posted an intimate picture of one of the girls on a public platform.

The mother of a 15-year-old victim described the ordeal as "horrific" and said her daughter had been blackmailed by Parsons.

Prosecutor David McGonigal stated that Parsons was addicted to using internet devices and had persisted in offending despite previous court orders.

Judge Andrew Hatton, sentencing Parsons, declared him a dangerous offender and highlighted the severe psychological trauma he had inflicted on the girls.

Parsons' list of offences included attempting to cause a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, disclosing private sexual photos without consent, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, breach of the sex offender notification requirements, and possession of indecent images of children.

His defence lawyer, Abdul Shakoor, attributed Parsons' actions to his addiction to pornography and social isolation exacerbated by lockdown.

Fortunately, none of the victims sent the images Parsons demanded, preventing sexual activity without consent from occurring.

Parsons, formerly of Wavertree Park Gardens, Bradford, was also given a nine-year sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the Sexual Offenders' Register for life.

Det Insp Lee Speight commended the bravery of the victims and their families for coming forward and emphasized the threat Parsons posed to young women.