Boy banned from using social media after encouraging others online to self-harm

A teenage boy, who encouraged others to self-harm online, has been banned from using social media platforms without supervision.

The 16-year-old boy, from the Winchester district area, appeared before Southampton Youth Court yesterday (Monday 27 April) for sentence, having previously pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting serious self-harm.

He was also sentenced for two counts of making indecent images of children having been convicted by a jury at the same court on Monday 16 March after a one-day trial.

At court yesterday, the boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order.

Part of the conditions of the order is that the boy cannot access social media platforms, unless supervised by an adult, or for educational purposes.

He was also banned from using any browser to access the dark web.

The order also includes a supervision requirement.

This case marks the first time Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have prosecuted someone for assisting or encouraging self-harm under the Online Safety Act 2023.

Evidence of indecent images and encouraging others to self-harm were found on various devices seized from his address during a warrant in May 2024.

This included references and pictures of children as young as 13 causing serious injuries to themselves.

The devices showed he would encourage them to carve his online name into their skin, or write his name in blood.  

From his bedroom at home he had been speaking online to children as far away as the United States and encouraging them to self-harm.

Due to the cropped nature of the images found, it was not possible to establish how many victims there were, but investigators believe there were at least a dozen.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Watson, of the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: “Firstly, I want to thank my team who built a comprehensive and compelling case that resulted in him admitting the charge and being found guilty of making and distributing indecent images.

“This is a landmark case for our force, and the investigation involved painstaking work looking through multiple devices to identify offences.

“This case also highlights the importance of online safety. Be wary of online predators, they may act like they are your friend in order to develop a close relationship but will often do this as a means to obtain private information and intimate images from you. Once they have this they will blackmail you into carrying out harmful behaviour such as the self-harm seen in this case.”

“Safeguarding vulnerable people is a priority for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to provide support, prevent harm wherever possible and relentlessly pursue anybody who seeks to target vulnerable people online.

“If you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is out there. Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to face it alone.”

Emma Hardy, Communications Director at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said: “Each image or video of child sexual abuse is an image or a video of a crime scene. They are a child’s suffering and exploitation frozen in time.

“This imagery, which the IWF works to remove from the internet every day, is of real children, and they are made victims all over again every time that imagery is viewed or shared. Just knowing that imagery is still out there, being seen by strangers, can be a huge psychological burden to survivors, even years after the sexual abuse itself took place.

“We encourage anyone who suspects they have seen child sexual abuse imagery online to report it securely and confidentially via our online portal. Children and young people can self-report nude or sexual imagery of themselves via the Report Remove helpline if they suspect it has been shared, or may be shared, online. Our analysts will work to make sure child sexual abuse imagery is removed from the internet.”

Members of the public can report suspected child sexual abuse imagery online to https://www.iwf.org.uk/en/uk-report/

Under 18s in the UK can report imagery of themselves which has been shared, or may be at risk of being shared, online to Report Remove here https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/report-remove/