Man jailed for distributing child abuse images from international blackmail ring

A man has been jailed for his role in an international organised crime group (OCG) that blackmailed more than 100 children worldwide into producing sexual abuse material. 

The Crown Prosecution Service’s dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit prosecuted Bradley Talbot, 29, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). 

Today, Talbot was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment. He previously pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group, distributing indecent images of children (IIOC), making IIOC, causing child sexual exploitation, and doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice. 

The court heard that Talbot marketed content derived from the blackmail of children to paedophiles in online groups on the messaging platform Telegram. 

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." 

Talbot, of Portsmouth, participated in the activities of the OCG which targeted girls aged 12 to 17 online and blackmailed them into providing child sexual abuse content. 

The blackmailers in this group would threaten to expose already obtained indecent images of the victims to their families and friends unless they sent further explicit images of themselves performing increasingly sexual or degrading acts. This included children being directed to self-harm and on occasions carving their blackmailers name on their body. The victims were commonly referred to in the groups as ‘slaves’.

Talbot, under the username 'DaveTheStag', would market this content obtained by the blackmailers in groups on Telegram and link to the material with the victim’s name and age.

In August 2024, officers searched Talbot’s address and seized 19 devices. Searches of these devices uncovered thousands of Category A, B and C indecent images of children. The evidence also revealed his involvement in the OCG’s activities and that he had incited a child to engage in sexual activity.

It was found that days before his devices were seized, he disposed of a hard-drive he had been using and deleted the Telegram app on his phone. 

The prosecution used this evidence to build a compelling case against Talbot which led to his guilty pleas. 

To date over 100 different female children exploited by this OCG have been identified, at least a quarter of which are from the UK. Others have been identified across the world including the US, France, Germany, India, Russia, South Korea and Australia. Work continues to formally identify them all and ensure safeguarding measures are put in place. 

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.

“The online culture of com groups promotes 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.”

Kerry Smith, the CEO of the Internet Watch Foundation, 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.”