Two men who coerced vulnerable teenage girls into carving names into their own skin have been jailed in what prosecutors described as a landmark case under the Online Safety Act. Charlie Johnson, 24, and Prince Singh, 23, were found to have exploited the victims’ young age, encouraging them into extreme acts of self-harm before mocking them and sharing images of the abuse online. One of the victims told Woolwich Crown Court that she still has nightmares from the abuse, saying, “I was made to feel like everything was my fault, even when he hurt me.”
The case marks the first time a jury has convicted defendants of assisting or encouraging serious self-harm under the Online Safety Act of 2023. While other defendants have previously pleaded guilty to similar offences, Johnson’s trial represented the first full courtroom test of the legislation. On Thursday, the court sentenced Johnson to four years in prison, while Singh was sentenced to two years and nine months.
During the hearing, the court was told that the two men shared nude images and self-harm photographs sent by the victims through a Discord group they ran together. The indecent image charges relate to one of the two girls involved in the case. Contact with Johnson began when the victim was living in a children’s home at the age of 16. Singh later started messaging her and initially gave her “the impression that he cared,” the court heard.
Prosecutors said Singh later revealed his true intentions on the Discord server he shared with Johnson. He told the group, “I’m going to ruin her life,” and expressed a desire to leave her “scarred for life.” In another message, he wrote, “Stage one; befriend, stage two; learn the name of school and work place, stage three; sit back and drink a slush puppy while her life falls to shit.”
Investigators found extensive evidence on devices seized from the defendants’ bedrooms at the time of their arrest, including indecent images and material encouraging self-harm. The court was told that the devices also contained references and images of other girls who were not involved in the trial.
One of the victims told the court that despite the trauma inflicted on her, she was “proud” that she and the other victim had come forward. “We knew we had to say something to stop this happening to other girls in the future,” she said.
Johnson was convicted after trial on two counts of encouraging self-harm, two counts of distributing indecent images of a child, and three counts of assault by beating. He also admitted two counts of making indecent images. Singh admitted counts of making and distributing indecent images of a child, along with encouraging serious self-harm of one of the victims.
Jessica Lunan of the Crown Prosecution Service said, “Charlie Johnson and Prince Singh committed devastating acts of violence and coercion against their young vulnerable victims. Through online chat rooms, they exploited and preyed upon young girls from different parts of the UK by illegally sharing indecent images of them and encouraging them to commit acts of self-harm. Our prosecutors work tirelessly to protect victims and bring offenders to justice. Sharing indecent images of children is a criminal offence, and those who do so will face the full force of the law.”
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