PM slates Snapchat over murder taunts

THE Prime Minister has intervened to demand that Snapchat stop blocking the release of data to police investigating “disturbing” online messages sent to the sister of a boy murdered by a paedophile.

MPS were told police wanted to trace the source of the messages to Chloe Bednar, purporting to be from the killer of her 14-year-old brother, Breck, and which graphically recounted his murder after he was groomed online and raped.

Chris Philp, a Conservative MP, told the Commons that Snapchat was claiming police would need to appeal to the US and “go through a one-year process to get the vital information” they needed to identify the device and individual responsible for the messages.

He said the stance was “completely unacceptable” and asked Theresa May: “Does she join me in calling on social media companies to promptly cooperate with police inquiries and, if they do not do so, does she agree that legislation is required?”

Mrs May said: “I agree with him. We want social media companies to recognise the responsibilities they have and to work with law enforcement agencies.”

She said new laws would enable access to the data in other countries where there was an international agreement in place, and the US was expected to be first to sign such an agreement.

Snapchat said it tried to be as helpful as it could and would welcome any efforts to speed up the process “whilst allowing for appropriate judicial oversight”.

The Ministry of Justice said its inquiries suggested that it was not Lewis Daynes, the paedophile convicted of Breck’s murder, who was behind the messages.