Prison term for ‘legal first’ prosecution of man who encouraged a vulnerable woman to commit serious self-harm online
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A man who was the first to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 has been sentenced to a nine years and four month prison term - partially to be served in hospital.
Tyler Webb, 22, used the Telegram communications app to repeatedly tell a vulnerable 22-year-old woman to cut herself, and then to kill herself by hanging during a video call so he could watch, telling her she had nothing to live for and giving her methods to end her life.
He admitted encouraging self-harm and encouraging suicide at Leicester Crown Court on May 9.
After hearing today from the prosecution and defence and considering Sentencing Guidelines, including Webb's guilty plea, the court handed down an eight year and two months prison term for encouraging suicide, with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim.
Separately he was given a one year two month prison term for encouraging self-harm, which will run on top of his other sentence, meaning a total of nine years and four month prison term.
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A man who was the first to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 has been sentenced to a nine years and four month prison term - partially to be served in hospital.
Tyler Webb, 22, used the Telegram communications app to repeatedly tell a vulnerable 22-year-old woman to cut herself, and then to kill herself by hanging during a video call so he could watch, telling her she had nothing to live for and giving her methods to end her life.
He admitted encouraging self-harm and encouraging suicide at Leicester Crown Court on May 9.
After hearing today from the prosecution and defence and considering Sentencing Guidelines, including Webb's guilty plea, the court handed down an eight year and two months prison term for encouraging suicide, with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim.
Separately he was given a one year two month prison term for encouraging self-harm, which will run on top of his other sentence, meaning a total of nine years and four month prison term.
This is such a depressing read. So fucked up. How can people be this evil?
I'm glad this has become illegal, but I'm sad it even had to be in the first place.