An Aberdeenshire teenager has admitted blackmailing girls as young as 12 to send him indecent images – before sharing them online.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted a string of charges relating to four girls.
The court heard that the teen befriended his victims over Facebook before convincing them to send him the images.
The earliest offence took place in July 2017, when the teenager coerced a 14-year-old girl he was seeing into sending him naked photos by threatening to break up with her.
Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm said: “Though she was uncomfortable, he threatened to end the relationship if she did not comply.”
The two remained friends on social media after breaking up weeks later, but when the girl refused to get back together with him the accused threatened to post the pictures online.
Ms Chisholm added: “She was terrified of this thought, and contacted the accused via a video-calling service.
“She complied with requests to remove her clothing, and performed a sex act on herself, following threats that the images would be shared.
“She was upset and crying.”
The next day, the accused distributed the images in question over photo-sharing mobile phone app, Snapchat.
The devastated girl told her dad, who informed the police.
In October 2017, the boy made contact with a 12-year-old girl over Facebook and persuaded her to expose herself to him.
The court heard that the girl “felt scared” but agreed.
He later disclosed a video which showed the child “in an intimate situation” over Snapchat and the police were called when she told her school.
Last May, he targeted another 12-year-old girl and induced her to send him nude photographs “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification”.
He lied about his age, saying he was 14.
The girl’s mother became concerned when she saw some of the messages, and called the police.
The boy also admitted getting into bed with a 12-year-old girl at a property in Aberdeen last October, and “attempting to kiss her on the mouth” and touch her private parts.
Sheriff Andrew Miller deferred sentence until May 7, for background reports and put the boy on the sex offenders register in the meantime.
