'Catfish' who posed as boy to target dozens of young girls is jailed

A 'highly dangerous sex predator' who posed as a 14-year-old boy to target girls as young as 11 was jailed for 14 years today.

Stuart Latham, 22, targeted 'young and vulnerable' girls in the UK and abroad in an internet campaign of grooming and blackmail in which he promised them cash and gift cards, Preston Crown Court was told.

Latham, from Wigan in Greater Manchester, used an 'advert' on Snapchat with promises of up to £200 or gift cards for the victims to send him sexualised indecent images.

Prosecutor Alison Mather said that he threatened to post the images online if his victims refused to send him more of the photographs he demanded.

Latham was sentenced to 14 years in prison with an extended sentence of eight years for 49 offences of rape, making and distribution of indecent images, inciting children to engage in sexual behaviour, possession of extreme pornography and blackmail against 39 victims.