Co Derry man who threatened to show indecent pics of teenage girl to her classmates jailed

A man who threatened to show indecent photographs of a teenage girl to her classmates if she refused to engage in sexual activity with him has been jailed.

The defendant, 21-year-old Adam Chambers from Park View in Castledawson, Co Derry pleaded guilty to eight charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child, guilty to three charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and guilty to one charge of harassing his victim. He committed the offences between December 2019 and May 2022, starting when his victim was aged twelve and when he was 17.

In sentencing Chambers to 18 months at Derry Crown Court, Judge Neil Rafferty KC said he took into consideration the fact that the defendant has neurodiversity issues and had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder during his period of offending.

At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Rafferty said the child victim “needs to understand she did nothing wrong and the only person who carries any blame in this is the defendant”.

The judge added: “What happened to her was a crime, she is the victim and his pleas of guilty are a powerful vindication of her.”

The court heard Chambers sent a text message to his victim in 2019 in which he called her derogatory names because she wouldn’t date him. She showed the message to her parents who approached Chambers and told him not to call nor text their daughter again. When he persisted in contacting their daughter, the parents again approached Chambers and told him to stop. He said he would stating he didn’t want to “fall out with other Christians”.

In March 2021 the victim texted Chambers “can u please stop sending me pictures of ur parts”.

In May 2022 the victim’s mother received automated calls from the defendant as well as nuisance calls to her home and reported the matter to the police.

Judge Rafferty said the defendant repeatedly threatened to show people pictures the girl had sent to Chambers. When he was arrested the police found indecent images of the victim on his mobile phone. Following his arrest Chambers gave a ‘no comment’ interview.

Jailing Chambers for eighteen months, Judge Rafferty said: “I make it perfectly clear, this is not a blackmail case and I am not treating it as such. However the issue of on-line sextortion has many facets and is clearly engaged in this case.”

Chambers was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for ten years and he’ll also be subject to the terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, again for ten years.

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