Kai Hutchinson 19

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A baby-faced teenager who targeted and groomed four young girls after chatting to them on social media has been locked up for four years and 10 months.

Manipulative and controlling Kai Hutchinson took advantage of the girls and left them suffering serious psychological problems because of his sexual behaviour towards them, Hull Crown Court heard. Hutchinson, 18, of Pembroke Grove, off Preston Road, east Hull, admitted five offences of sexual activity with a child and three of sexual communication with a child.

David Godfrey, prosecuting, said that Hutchinson chatted with four young girls through Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. He had contact with the first girl, aged 14 at the time, on Snapchat for about a month before they met in person.

"He was aware that she was 14 at the time," said Mr Godfrey. They had sex at least 10 times and the sexual activity continued. "She felt a degree of pressure to do so," said Mr Godfrey.

The girl described Hutchinson as "a bit controlling" but the relationship eventually came to an end. He sent intimate images of himself to her and asked her for explicit pictures. "She sent pictures," said Mr Godfrey.

The second girl, aged 12 at the time, was contacted by Hutchinson on Instagram. "The contact became more explicit," said Mr Godfrey.

Hutchinson sent her intimate pictures of himself and "bombarded" her with messages. He pressured her for explicit pictures but she did not send him any. "Eventually, she told her mum," said Mr Godfrey.

Hutchinson had contact with the third girl on Facebook and she told him that she was 13. "They met up on a number of occasions," said Mr Godfrey. They had sex on at least 10 occasions but the girl described the relationship as "toxic".

He had manipulated her into sexual activity. "She wasn't wanting to upset him," said Mr Godfrey.

The fourth girl, now 15, had contact via Snapchat. Hutchinson was aware that she was 14 at the time. He sent intimate images of himself to her.

"He persisted," said Mr Godfrey. "She did not send any images."

The first girl said in a statement that the incidents affected her new relationship with her next boyfriend. She did not want to get out of bed and cried all the time. The second girl said that the incidents changed her mentally. "I feel empty and feel low and anxious," she said. "I have been struggling to concentrate at school."

The third girl said: "My life has never been the same since this happened. I have lost my appetite. My mind is constantly thinking about what happened. I feel anxious going out in public." The fourth girl had not given a victim statement.

Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Hutchinson had no previous convictions. "He has never previously been in any trouble at all," said Mr Brook. Hutchinson had been remanded in custody in an adult prison for a few months.

"They are very serious offences," said Mr Brook. The sexual offences were "wholly inappropriate and illegal" even if the ongoing "toxic" relationships were consensual. Hutchinson was immature and he had been assessed as being a low risk of reoffending.

"There was a degree of manipulation," said Mr Brook. "These were not threats in the usual sense."

As well as being sent to a young offenders' institution for four years and 10 months, Hutchinson was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.