A Stokesley man has been jailed for a catalogue of sexual offences against children and teenagers who he targeted through social media.
Mark Anthony Wilson, 35, previously of Allen Grove, pleaded guilty to 27 offences against nine victims aged between seven and 19.
Between 2018 and 2020 he targeted vulnerable children and young adults across the UK, asking for intimate, sexual photographs and video, threatening to expose them and their families if they did not give into his sickening requests.
In some cases, he carried out those threats to the unimaginable distress of his victims who were frightened, humiliated and degraded by him when he published their images online or to other people.
In one incident, Wilson sent the mother of one his victims, a video of her naked teenage son.
In another, officers recovered images and video of a seven-year-old boy’s genitals sent during a series of 206 messages and Facetime calls between Wilson and the victim.
And in another, officers found explicitly sexual images of an eight-year-old girl and 1,149 messages between Wilson and the victim, many of them graphically sexual in nature.
He also sent racially offensive, abusive and sexual messages to a 16-year-old girl, threatening to post videos on YouTube claiming her father had raped her. He received an uplift of nine months to his sentence for the racially aggravated aspect of this offence.
He was sentenced to six years and eight months at Teesside Crown Court today after pleading guilty to all 27 offences at York Magistrates’ Court over the course of three hearings between August 2021 and February 2022.
The judge commented on the long, complicated and complex investigation that brought Wilson to justice.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Karen Barugh, of Northallerton CID, said: “The defendant has committed multiple malicious and sexual offences against children online between 2018 and 2020, causing them great distress. They must have been terrified at the thought of him carrying out his threats.
“Despite being arrested, he continued to commit offences while on bail, his offending increasing in severity over time. He was prolific in his targeting of children and has shown no remorse for what he did.
“I’d like to thank those children and young people who were brave enough to come forward and give a statement to the police. I would urge anyone else to do the same if they are victim of any type of sexual offence.”
Seeking further support – advice and ways of reporting child abuse
- Please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you are in immediate danger, always dial 999 for an emergency response
- Victims who would prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, can contact Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), on 0330 223 0362, email sarc@nhs.net or go to www.bridgehousesarc.org/
- You can also contact Supporting Victims direct at supportingvictims.org or call 01609 643100
- NSPCC Helplines: * Help for adults concerned about a child – call 0808 800 5000 * Help for children and young people – call Childline on 0800 1111 * Go to www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse
Concerned about your own thoughts and behaviour towards children?
If you are concerned about your own thoughts, feelings and behaviour towards children, you can get help and support from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation. Find out more about their Stop It Now campaign here Stop It Now! UK and Ireland | Preventing child sexual abuse
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