Man, 19, who ‘posed as kind friend' to vulnerable girl, 15, on Snapchat before sexually exploiting her jailed for four years
Benjamin Mitchell, 19, has been branded "a parent's worst nightmare" after he groomed his victim on the social media platform.
A teenager who posed as a "kind and attentive" friend to a vulnerable girl on Snapchat has been jailed for years after coercing her into sending him sexual videos.
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Benjamin Mitchell, 19, has been branded "a parent's worst nightmare" after he groomed his victim on the social media platform.
He began an online relationship with the 15-year-old girl after becoming friends with her on Snapchat in August last year, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Mitchell then regularly sent images of himself performing a sex act over the following four months and pressured her into sharing indecent material of herself performing sex acts.
Prosecutor Paul Blasbery told the court Mitchell would send up to "five to eight" such videos per week, leaving the victim "feeling awful".
He said Mitchell’s behaviour carried on for months until she eventually told friends and her mum in December 2025.
Her mum shared she was "going about her normal routine" when her daughter "called her into her bedroom in a distressed state" and told what was going on.
She branded Mitchell's crimes "disgusting and abhorrent", saying in a statement: "It's a parent's worst nightmare that their child falls prey to a sexual predator online."The devastated mother said Mitchell was "latching onto her like a leech", and "preyed on her mental health struggles".
She "didn't deserve to be treated like a play thing to satisfy his own needs," her mother said.
She added:: "He's a danger to young, vulnerable girls. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew it was wrong. He did it anyway. He only cares about himself."
Police found 32 indecent images of girls aged between eight and 11 on the device after search his home.
He told officers he was aware of the girl's age and "knew it was wrong" but declared that "age wasn't a consideration for him".
Mitchell said he told his victim he "liked children and indecent pictures of children" , admitting that he was sexually attracted to children and couldn't stop as he felt "lonely and alone in his flat".
He has one previous conviction for five offences and received a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months in May last year.
Mitchell must serve at least two thirds of his four-year term in prison before being deemed eligible for release by the Parole Board.
He was also slapped with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, ordered to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely and hande a lifelong restraining order.
Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "The offences concern the systematic grooming and sexual exploitation of this 15-year-old. She was, at the time, plainly vulnerable, suffering from mental health difficulties and suffering from feelings of loneliness. She was seeking companionship and someone to talk to."