Jail for online predator who targeted teenagers

Man coerced young girls into sending him images and videos

A “dangerous predator” has been jailed for a near four-year campaign in which he coerced young girls into sending him naked pictures online.

Ashley Allen was slammed by a sheriff for the “detailed planning and subterfuge” he put into the offences against youngsters aged 13 to 15 between 2012 and 2015.

His behaviour was uncovered after an investigation, involving police on both sides of the border, sparked by a picture of a topless teenager which circulated at an English secondary school.

At ForfarSheriff Court yesterday Allen was jailed for two years and seven months after admitting an indictment containing six charges brought under the Sexual Offences Act.

The 25-year-old created false online profiles to befriend the children on social media sites such as Twitter, Snapchat, KIK and Instagram before getting them to send him pictures of themselves.

He had posed as an 18-year-old from Edinburgh to lure his first victim into online conversations, before making requests for more explicit material.

At one point he exchanged up to 500 messages a day with one schoolgirl before she sent him around 30 indecent images.

He had posed as a muscular 15-yearold from Surrey in conversations with her and discussed meeting to have sex.

Allen eventually coerced the girl into sending sexually explicit videos to him.

He then moved on to a schoolmate of one of the girls and threatened he would spread salacious rumours about her unless she sent him indecent pictures.

When a topless picture of the victim was shared round the school teachers stepped in and contacted police in the West Mercia area.

Their investigations revealed that the images had been sent to a computer registered at Allen’s address on Carnoustie’s Dundee Street where he was found hiding when police went there at the end of January last year.

On computer equipment seized from the house, they found over 400 indecent images and 38 indecent videos of children.

Defence solicitor Sarah Russo said: “He fully accepts the charges to which he has pleaded guilty to and he accepts they were under the age of 16 at the relevant time.”

Sheriff Gregor Murray, who also placed Allen on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period, highlighted the “significant” age difference.

The sheriff added: “You showed detailed planning, subterfuge, went hunting for people on public sites then moved to private communications.

“You have badgered some of the young ladies involved and used overt threats almost to the length of blackmail.

“The effect on one complainer in particular must have been significant.

“From that I come to the conclusion that you are a dangerous predatory individual and have shown a tendency to commit these offences over an extended period of almost four years. There is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”