December 2020 Snapchat predator targeted young teen while living ‘fantasy life on the internet’ A Snapchat sex predator who targeted a teenager while living a ‘fantasy life on the internet’ has avoided jail – after a judge ruled a suspended prison term would better serve the public. George Morbey used fake profiles in a bid to persuade a 15-year-old boy to perform sex acts online and send him explicit photographs. The 24-year-old also spoke of ‘kidnapping, raping and killing children’ and possessed indecent images of children as young as eight, as well as ‘extreme’ pornography featuring sexual activity with snakes and dogs, Birmingham Crown Court heard. When police raided his Solihull home, the defendant told them he “knew why they were there”. Morbey pleaded guilty to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, one charge of possessing extreme pornography and thee counts relating to indecent images of children. On Wednesday, December 9, Judge Peter Carr sentenced him to two years in prison but suspended the term for the same length of time. He said: “Having decided the imposition of a custodial sentence is necessary what has caused me to ponder long and hard is whether or not there’s any justifiable reason for me to suspend the immediate sentence that would otherwise follow.” Experts found one category A image, 14 category B, five category C and a combination for 42 still or moving images of extreme pornography. They also discovered deleted chat conversations. Morbey used two aliases to make contact with a 15-year-old boy on Snapchat. Using the first, purporting to be a young man, he sent him explicit pictures of himself but when he asked the victim to return the favour he blocked him. Morbey then targeted the same person posing as a 15-year-girl which resulted in the young boy sending pictures of himself in his underwear. Police were able to reach the boy, who confirmed the conversations had taken place. They also identified another potential victim, aged 13, but he denied sexual communication took place with the defendant. Morbey, of Barle Grove, Smith’s Wood, must take part in the Horizon programme for male sex offenders for 60 days, carry out 20 days of further rehabilitation activity, pay a victim surcharge and £425 in court costs. A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed.