Teenager threatened to post images of girls
A teenager asked young girls to send him photos of themselves scantily clad or naked then threatened to post them on social media if they didn't send more explicit material.
Cian Creagh, 19, from Wem, carried on contacting girls, despite being bailed by police, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
Judge Anthony Lowe said there had been a worrying escalation of his behaviour.
Creagh admitted 13 counts of sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of distributing images.
He was sentenced to 28 months in a Young Offenders Institution with an order that he served half that sentence before being released on licence.
Judge Lowe also placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years and made a sexual harm prevention order.
Befriended
Ms Jo Maxwell, prosecuting said the offences happened in 2017 and 2018 when Creagh set up social media accounts under pseudonyms and befriended and messaged girls.
The girls were aged between 11 and 15, although Creagh believed the youngest was 13, Ms Maxwell said.
He sent sexual messages and asked the girls for pictures of themselves in their underwear or topless.
After complaints, police tracked him to his address, removed his electronic equipment and bailed him while investigating the allegations.
However, Ms Maxwell said he gained access to a computer tablet and continued to contact young girls.
When two girls sent him photos, he then told them they had to send explicit photos and videos or he would post their pictures publicly.
He also told one of the girls he wanted to meet with her.
Distressed
Ms Maxwell said the girl eventually told her mother after being distressed and unable to sleep.
Another said she had felt sick with worry and couldn't eat or sleep.
Mr Myrie Curtis for Creagh said his client has spent four months on remand and had been addressing his problems. He realised he bottled up his emotions and had been hiding behind the internet.
"He needed help and he was not getting help. That help is now on offer," Mr Curtis said.
Judge Lowe said his concern was the lack of remorse Creagh had shown and the worrying escalation of his offending after he had been first bailed by police.
"That seemed to prompt an inexplicable escalation in your behaviour," he told the defendant.
"You used threats to demand more explicit images."
Judge Lowe said he was concerned that Creagh may have a deep rooted resentment against females and said he hoped he would be able to get the help he needed.
