IBNS-CMEDIA: An Indian-origin student described as a “serial online groomer” has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for grooming, exploiting and coercing multiple children into performing sexual acts online.
The offender, identified as Bilal Kazi, from Birmingham, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court after pleading guilty to a series of child sexual abuse offences committed online. He will also serve an extended licence period of eight years.
According to a statement released by Chester Crown Court, Kazi posed as a teenage boy on social media and online gaming platforms to target young girls aged between 10 and 15.
He gained their trust before manipulating them into sending sexually explicit images and videos. When the victims refused to comply with his further demands, he blackmailed them by threatening to share the material online.
In one instance, Kazi uploaded a video online that was viewed by 93 people.
During the investigation in Cheshire, police recovered more than 400 indecent images and videos from his mobile phone. A further 500-plus images and videos were discovered on his devices in Birmingham, many of which belonged to the most serious category of indecent imagery.
Kazi was already a registered sex offender and was subject to a Sexual Risk Order when he committed some of the offences.
He was eventually caught after the mother of one of his victims discovered messages exchanged between Kazi and her daughter on the girl’s phone and reported the matter to police.
Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Bilal Kazi acted with absolute ruthlessness in grooming, manipulating and exploiting a large number of young vulnerable girls. He befriended them online and forced them to take photos and videos carrying out sexual acts. He then blackmailed those who refused to comply with his further demands, threatening to post the explicit imagery to others.”
McRobb added that Kazi posed as a teenage boy to attract his victims and gain their trust, leading many of them to believe they were in a genuine relationship with him.
“When the victims realised they had been deceived, they were understandably distressed and some suffered serious and long-term trauma,” he said.
