James Kang, 30, posed as a teenage boy to groom vulnerable girls as young as 13 in online chat rooms between 2018 and 2021. He befriended multiple victims and, after gaining their trust, bullied and coerced them into performing indecent acts while he watched.
Kent Police were alerted to Kang’s activities after receiving a tip-off that he was uploading indecent images of children via email. Officers from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team raided his home in Northfleet on 26 May 2020, seizing all his devices and arresting him.
Kang denied the offences during interview but was later charged after a digital forensic examination uncovered 12,475 indecent images and videos on his devices, including 2,141 in the most severe category. Many of these images depicted children under the age of 10.
Detectives worked diligently to identify Kang’s victims and uncovered his grooming efforts. The 30-year-old, from Rural Vale, Northfleet, faced multiple child sex offence charges, including causing or inciting girls aged 13 to 15 to perform sexual acts and possession of indecent images.
At Woolwich Crown Court, Kang pleaded guilty to 50 charges. On 17 July 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Constable Caroline White condemned Kang’s actions, stating, “Kang is a depraved individual who used a very persuasive online persona to groom numerous vulnerable teenage girls. Simultaneously he was downloading images of even younger children suffering the most appalling sexual abuse.”
She added, “Our team spent more than 100 hours combing through his devices to fully expose his crimes. His actions will leave a lasting impact on the victims. We’re ensuring those identified receive support as they try to heal. It’s only right he is now behind bars.”
Detective White also urged anyone who has suffered sexual abuse to come forward, saying, “If anyone has suffered sexual abuse, it’s never too late to report it to police, a parent or trusted person. We treat all information with utmost care and sensitivity.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
