Leo Gravely 20

Description

A man has been jailed after being identified as being in control of a Snapchat account which sent deeply concerning threats to two girls in Essex.

Leo Gravely, 20, made the threats to two teenage girls under the handle of ‘alfie_bach’.

The threats were violent and sexual in nature.

Gravely first contacted the victims when he was aged 18 in 2022 by sending friend requests which were accepted.

He then cited information which was specific to them and made sexually violent threats if they did not send explicit imagery to him.

Both victims feared the person behind the Snapchat account would act upon the threats.

Gravely’s actions continued for several months and were then reported to police.

Detectives were then able to quickly link Gravely, of St Michael’s Road, Canvey Island, to the ‘alfie_bach’ Snapchat account and arrested him at his home.

His phone was seized and indecent imagery of one of the girls, some of which falls into the most serious categories in law, was found on it during its examination.

Gravely was released on bail whilst the case against him was built, and he was ultimately charged with two counts of blackmail and two counts of having indecent images.

He denied the charges and was found guilty on 29 September after an 11-day trial at Basildon Crown Court.

Jailing him for a total of seven years today, Friday 20 March, Recorder Clark labelled Gravely “a dangerous young man” with a “desire to torture and cause pain” who showed “no shred of remorse”.

Indefinite restraining orders were also put in place to protect both victims and Gravely was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register for a decade.

Victims' bravery

Detective Constable Emma Taylor, who carried out our investigation, said:

“The bravery of the two victims in this case is astounding. To be faced with such violent and explicit threats and have the courage to face Gravely is incredibly humbling.

“Leo Gravely behaved despicably when he made these threats and we were determined to identify who was behind the account and bring them to justice.

“Gravely continue to protest his innocence right through his trial but the jury just didn’t believe him and today, his violent and threatening behaviour has caught up with him.

“But today isn’t about him – today is about our victims, I hope, finding some closure in this chapter, knowing that he will spend his next years in prison.

“And even when he is released, he will be closely monitored for a period of time and will be banned from contacting them indefinitely.”