Corey Hycz 25

Description

A paedophile posed as a girl on social media to trick a boy into sending naked photos and sexual videos before blackmailing him.

Corey Hycz, who admitted he was sexually attracted to children, told the victim he would send the explicit photos to his friends if he did not send him further images.

In a statement read out at Mold Crown Court the victim said: I could never have imagined someone would do this to me.

Ffion Tomos, prosecuting, said the victim who cannot be named for legal reasons was in year seven when he first received a message from a profile called Molly.

The court heard it was the defendant pretending to be a girl from another school. She told the victim he was attractive and asked him if he had reached puberty.

Prosecutors said the boy replied he was not sure and Molly asked him to send naked photos so she could give him advice.

The boy sent 20 pictures of his genitals and three explicit videos of himself. Ms Tomos said: The defendant continued to look for further material from [him]. When he did not comply with those requests he blackmailed him.

Hycz told the victim if he failed to send him any more images Molly would show his friends the images he had already sent.

The boy was left feeling nervous and worried and he tried to block the account but the defendant created another fake profile called Sammy and used that to contact him again. He told the victim he would share the images with everyone if he did not unblock Molly.

Initially the boy did not tell anyone but eventually confided in a close friend and later a family member.

Describing the moment he was first contacted he said: I thought they just wanted to be friends. When they asked for photos I was confused I felt pressured.

He added: When the person became threatening I was much more stressed and frightened. I was worried what might happen if it got out in school.

I was worried people would make fun of me and my friends would stop speaking to me. I began to isolate myself.

He said he felt stressed at school and could not concentrate on his work. He felt worried when he thought he might have to give evidence at court.

Hycz was arrested at home in Ruthin on June 4 last year and replied to the caution: I havent done anything.

His phone and laptop were seized and found to contain 39 of the most serious Category A indecent images of children, 20 at Category B, and 31 at Category C.

Prosecutors said there was also one Category C film and his search terms included school uniform porn. He had also searched for local schools.

The defendant had two police interviews and denied committing any offences. The court heard he had no previous convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings.

Hycz, 21, from Min Yr Afon, Ruthin, admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity as well as blackmail and making indecent images of children.

Simon Killeen, defending, said his client was under 18 when the offending started and described him as naive. He told the court he was socially isolated and diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.

Judge Niclas Parry noted a pre-sentence report found him to present a high risk of sexual re-offending and told him: By your own admissions you are sexually attracted to children.

Hycz was jailed for 27 months. A 10-year sexual harm prevention order was imposed and he must register as a sex offender for that time.

Detective Constable Natalie Horgan-Jones, of North Wales Police, said: This sentence reflects the serious nature of his offending and hopefully it will provide reassurance to both the victim and community of how the criminal justice system will deal with this type of offender.

This investigation was only possible with the courage and resolve of the victim in reporting these crimes. Hopefully it will bring closure to a prolonged period of stress and anxiety the victim has suffered at the hands of the defendant and I hope it provides some level of comfort to the whole family."