Catfish posing as 14-year-old boy jailed for 14 years

A man described in court as a highly dangerous sex predator who posed as a 14-year-old boy to target dozens of girls was jailed for 14 years on Friday at Preston Crown Court. Stuart Latham, 22, from Wigan in Greater Manchester, ran an online campaign of grooming and blackmail that drew victims in the United Kingdom and abroad, prosecutors said.

Latham advertised on Snapchat, promising up to £200 or gift cards in exchange for explicit images. He threatened to post the material online if victims refused to send more, prosecutors told the court. The offences spanned 49 counts and involved rape, making and distribution of indecent images, inciting children to engage in sexual behaviour, possession of extreme pornography and blackmail, and were committed against 39 victims. Police later found images of a further 48 children on Latham’s devices, though no charges have been filed on those cases as investigators pursued court action against him.

The case also revealed that many offences occurred while Latham was on bail for the rape of a 12-year-old girl whom he had met on a dating app and convinced she was 15, with whom he recorded sexual activity. Suspicions raised by a children's welfare service prompted police to intervene. Police seized a phone during the arrest, finding conversations with multiple children and evidence of him recording those exchanges; he spoke to several victims concurrently and used the device to promise cash in return for nude images.

Authorities later found a second device with a similar Snapchat advert used to lure additional victims. Judge Philip Parry described Latham as a predatory offender who displayed little remorse and posed a significant risk to the public, especially young girls who could be exploited or abused. He noted that Latham’s attitude toward sexual offending indicated ongoing danger.

Two victims gave impact statements in court. One described the perpetrator’s targeting of vulnerable girls as disgusting, while another mother spoke of devastation and anger over the harm caused to her child. The judge praised the bravery of the victims who stood up in court, saying their testimony helped expose Latham’s “vile and manipulative behaviour.”

The offences occurred between May 2022 and March 2024, when Latham was between 19 and 21 years old. Defence counsel described Latham as immature and naive, arguing that his emotional control and awareness of consequences were limited. Prosecutors emphasized the scale and nature of the grooming operation, highlighting that the online predation extended beyond the United Kingdom and included victims abroad. The extended sentence added eight years to the base term, reflecting the severity and number of offences.

This case underscores concerns about social media and dating-app platforms being used to facilitate sexual exploitation of minors, and it illustrates the difficulties investigators face in tracking and prosecuting grooming networks that operate across jurisdictions. Authorities have urged continued vigilance and reporting of alarming online behavior to prevent similar harm in the future.