Teenage Predator Coerced Girls Online | Leeds News

A 17-year-old from Leeds, Justin Swaddle, has been sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating a chilling online grooming ring that coerced over 100 young girls into sexual acts and self-harm. Using aliases like Epstein and Rugen across platforms like Snapchat and Telegram, he led a global “Com” group obsessed with shock value, not profit. Victims as young as 13 were targeted, manipulated through fear and threats—some even carved his name into their bodies. His devices held graphic evidence, including images of self-harm marked with his usernames and child abuse material. With international cooperation from agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand, authorities identified 117 victims worldwide. Swaddle pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including child sexual abuse and blackmail, and will remain on the sex offender register for a decade. The NCA warns these small but devastating online groups are a growing threat—and they’re working to stop them before more lives are destroyed. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f8eb1bd64019d194