A police officer who blackmailed more than 200 teenage girls into sending him explicit images has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years.
Lewis Edwards, 24, groomed 210 girls aged between 10 and 16 on Snapchat over a three-year period.
The South Wales Police officer posed as a 14-year-old boy and forced his victims to make indecent videos and images of themselves, which he covertly recorded.
He then used the recordings to blackmail his victims into sending increasingly graphic and explicit images. He also sent videos of himself performing a sex act.
Edwards, who joined the force in January 2021, refused to attend his sentencing hearing today at Cardiff Crown Court.
Lewis Edwards, 24, who blackmailed more than 200 teenage girls into sending him explicit images has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years
Lewis Edwards pictured here in his police interview
Edwards (pictured) posed as a 14-year-old boy to groom over 200 girls aged between 10 and 16, while blackmailing hem to send him explicit images of themselves
The judge said a life sentence was appropriate because the level of danger posed to children by Edwards was ‘very high’ as she said he must serve a minimum of 12 years behind bars.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told Cardiff Crown Court: ‘These are extremely serious offences and the defendant was a prolific offender.
‘He has caused significant harm to the victims, to their parents, their siblings and their wider families.
‘It is clear he gained not only sexual gratification from his offending but he also enjoyed the power and control he had over these young girls.
‘His reaction to their distress can properly be described as cruel and sadistic.
‘His offending is significantly aggravated by the fact he was a serving police officer and many of his victims and their families have said that his actions have caused them to lose trust in the police.
‘There is no doubt that he has caused significant harm to the reputation of South Wales Police and police in general but it should be borne in mind that it was officers from South Wales Police who brought this case to light and continue to identify and help further victims.’
Edwards’s victims gave harrowing evidence to the court of how his crimes had affected them – with many self-harming, contemplating suicide, losing friends and left fearful of going out.
One teenage girl addressed the judge in person while several mothers sat in the witness box to describe how their children’s lives had been forever changed.
‘I want my voice to be heard, this is who I am,’ a teenager told Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke.
‘I thought I was talking to a really nice boy who liked me, complimented me, and made me feel good about myself.
‘I told him I didn’t want to send images any more and he blackmailed me by threatening me and my family. I felt terrified, horror and let down.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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