Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Online Grooming of at Least 70 Girls

Bilal Kazi, a 27-year-old student, targeted victims aged between 10 and 17 using platforms like Snapchat, Wink, and Roblox. Posing as a 14-year-old boy, he manipulated the victims into sending explicit images and videos, and threatened to leak the content if they refused. Kazi was arrested at Heathrow Airport in July 2023 and later pleaded guilty to charges including making indecent images, blackmail, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. At Chester Crown Court, he was handed a 30-year prison sentence with a minimum of 20 years to serve before parole eligibility, and placed on the sex offenders register for life.