North Tyneside predator jailed after blackmailing young girl
A devious predator who blackmailed a teen girl into sending him indecent videos has been jailed.
Dangerous paedophile Michael Quinn posed as a 17-year-old called Jonjo while using social media and chatrooms to find young girls to prey on.
Quinn’s offending was first uncovered when he began communicating with a profile he thought belonged to a 13-year-old school girl on February 4.
Over the course of several days, he sent his victim a range of Snapchat selfies, indecent images and videos, and repeatedly asked her to carry out sexual acts live on camera.
When he was arrested on March 14, having been unaware he was actually chatting to a police officer, his devices were seized and it wasn’t long before detectives from the Force’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) uncovered more disturbing content.
They found Quinn’s alias had also been used to deceive and blackmail another teen girl. Evidence recovered from his device revealed how he had blackmailed the 13-year-old who lived in America, forcing her into sending indecent videos, and threatening to share the content with her dad if she didn’t continue to cooperate.
Investigators from the Force’s Victim Identification Team quickly got to work and soon tracked down the teen with the help of American law enforcement and a complex case was presented before the courts.
Quinn was subsequently charged and later admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, blackmail and making indecent photos of a child.
And, on Friday, the 35-year-old, of Burradon, North Tyneside was jailed for four years and six months.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Rob Smoult from POLIT said: “Michael Quinn is a dangerous paedophile who poses a serious risk to children and young people.
“Despite being thousands of miles away from one of his victims and communicating remotely, he was able to cause significant harm and real psychological damage with his relentless abuse.
“We have a detailed record of his offending thanks to the bravery of his 13-year-old victim, who was able to find the strength to give us a full account of what had happened, as well as his interactions with a police officer, who he also believed was 13. We were able to put a thorough and undisputed case before the courts, leaving Quinn no choice but to plead guilty.
“I am pleased he is now behind bars where he is unable to cause anymore harm, and hope this case serves as a serous warning to anyone who thinks they can get away with this type of offending.
“I would like to thank all those involved in this case for helping to bring Quinn to justice, from our detectives to digital media investigators, as well as our victim identification team. Together, we will continue our relentless pursuit of offenders who put children and young people in danger.”
If you have concerns about someone’s behaviour or want to report suspicious online activity visit: Report an Incident : Online Services : Northumbria Police
If you have been a victim of sexual offence, contact police immediately by calling 101, or alternatively, you can report an offence via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command here: https://www.ceop.police.uk/ceop-reporting/
Have you seen something inappropriate online or want to report child abuse content? Visit Homepage | Internet Watch Foundation (iwf.org.uk)