Tye Hunt, 23, used the platform to coerce young girls into sexual activity
A London man has been jailed for almost three years after using Snapchat to groom two young girls, who he manipulated into carrying out sexual activity. Tye Hunt, 23, of Brockley Road, London, was living in Essex at the time of the offending in 2022 and 2023, when he used the social media platform to approach the girls, who were aged 12 and 14.
He attempted to arrange to meet the 12-year-old girl for sexual activity and also sent her explicit pictures, pressuring and manipulating her into doing the same. He lied to the 14-year-old girl by claiming he was 16, again sending her explicit pictures and telling her he would pay for a hotel for them to meet up.
The victims approached their local police forces, which compiled evidence and worked with Essex Police after establishing Hunt lived in the Harwich area during the Snapchat calls.
Hunt was arrested and later admitted charges of attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence and two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child. He appeared for sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, November 25, where he was jailed for two years and ten months.
He will remain the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, monitoring his behaviour and use of devices. Restraining orders were imposed, banning Hunt from contact with either victim.
In a victim impact statement, one of the girls said: “I want the court to understand that the damage caused by grooming doesn’t stop when the contact ends or when justice is done. It continues to affect every aspect of my life and the lives of others who experience it. I stopped going to school and socialising with friends as I couldn’t face seeing others.”
In a statement for the court, school teachers described the impact of Hunt’s offending on a girl, stating: “She has had forced upon her anxiety, shame, doubt, fear, obscenity, guilt, feelings of violation, mistrust, self-destruction and has been emotionally damaged beyond our understanding which will always have an impact on her view of life and people.
“She has had a part of her life taken from her that will never be given back and the bravery this pupil has shown throughout this ordeal is a testament to the strength she has within herself. Having spoken to her, she has said that when she is ready, she wants to use this experience as a way of helping others that have and unfortunately may experience anything like this.
“The perpetrator of this act has impacted countless people and should be made to face the consequences of this appalling act of manipulation and exploitation.”
Investigating officer DC Claire March, of Clacton CID, paid tribute to the girls and said they had shown “maturity and patience” while the investigation was underway.
She said: “Going through the criminal justice process can be daunting and it’s important to say that we have specially trained officers on hand to support child victims.
“If you’re not ready to speak to us, there are a number of other independent organisations you can speak to for support and advice. It was vital we ensured Hunt was brought to justice to prevent further harm to other children.
“We immediately treated these reports with the utmost seriousness they deserved. Hunt’s behaviour was predatory and targeted towards young girls with the aim of sexual gratification. His use of social media to identify victims was a troubling feature of this case.
“But thanks to the close partnership we had with other forces in the areas where victims came forward, we were able to build a case against Hunt, track him down and arrest him. He wasn’t able to get away with it and he’s rightly facing a prison sentence for his actions.”
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
