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A man who moderated an online forum that blackmailed young girls into taking indecent images or harm themselves has been sentenced after a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.
Com group operating on Telegram.
Com groups are online collectives of individuals who work together or compete to cause harm across a range of criminality, from cybercrime to child sexual abuse.
Talbot’s 6,000 strong group sought out and shared child sexual abuse material and Talbot was seen as a ‘core member’.
They targeted children on social media, initiating chats before coercing them to send photos of themselves.
In time, they would escalate the request to indecent images before making further explicit demands and threatening to share the images with the victim’s family if they do not comply.
The abuse also included forcing them to carve the names of their tormentors on their bodies with sharp instruments.
Victims were aged 12 to 17. More than 100 child victims have been discovered through this group and at least 25 per cent are believed to be from the UK.
Messages on the Telegram group showed Talbot was actively involved in marketing and advertising blackmail child abuse content and was regularly involved in deciding how the group conducted its activities in order to seek further content.
In one, he discussed providing a short video showcasing the abuse held on the channel, stating ‘it’ll be a good way to entice people to join’. Other messages showed he was involved in livestream abuse of children, directing the abuse through video chats.
Talbot was charged with participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group, arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13 and distributing an indecent image of a child. He pleaded guilty in a hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on 29 April 2025.
He was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment today (21 November) and will have a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Wayne Johns, Head of CSA investigations at the NCA, said:
“Bradley Talbot operated callously online, with members of his group blackmailing children into creating the most degrading, humiliating and despicable material. His offending spanned from finding victims to actively promoting his depraved group to encourage new members to join.
“Com groups like this often promote a rhetoric of misogyny and violence against women and girls. Many offenders are not motivated by money or sexual gratification, but by the status and notoriety that comes with sharing shocking content. However, investigators discovered in this case that as well as seeking status as a core member of the group, Talbot also had a sexual interest in children.
“We worked closely with the Online CSA Covert Intelligence Team, Hampshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure Talbot was held accountable for his actions and as a result, he now faces a long prison sentence.”
Internet Watch Foundation CEO Kerry Smith said:
“Every day, our team sees images and videos which children have been forced into making themselves – in scenes where they are made to engage in some of the most extreme forms of sexual abuse.
“Vile predators like Talbot expose children to the most terrifying abuse, all so they can make a profit off the back of the suffering inflicted on the most vulnerable.
“And for children and young people facing these sorts of threats online – there is help out there. Our free and confidential Report Remove service means nude or sexual imagery can be taken down if it gets out of control online, or pre-emptively blocked if a criminal is threatening to expose it. Children mustn’t face this sort of blackmail and coercion alone. Help is out there.”
Jeanette Smith, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said:
“The victims in this case were forced to participate in the most degrading and humiliating acts, with the resulting material then shared worldwide. They became trapped in a web of fear where their own images became tools of manipulation and extortion, leaving them vulnerable to these depraved demands.
“Bradley Talbot played an active role in this organised crime group by marketing material derived from the sexual exploitation of children to other like-minded individuals. Despite his attempts to conceal evidence, our Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, in collaboration with the NCA, built a comprehensive picture of his crimes, resulting in his guilty pleas.
“The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to dismantle these dangerous criminal networks by prosecuting offenders and securing justice for victims.”
The leader of the group was arrested in Victoria, Australia and awaits trial. A second member, Thomas Govan, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Service in May 2024 and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to 24 charges including rape of a child, making indecent photographs of children and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Children and young people are better protected when they have adults around them who they feel they can trust, talk to and won’t be blamed by. Regular, open and honest conversations create environments where young people can disclose concerns.
- Education professionals can find a range of lesson plans and resources to protect under 18s from online sexual abuse at: www.ceopeducation.co.uk/professionals
- Parents and carers can find information, advice and resources to use at home with their children at: www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents
Under 18s concerned about their own sexual behaviour or thoughts can find help and advice at: www.shorespace.org.uk
