Christopher Osborne, a 38-year-old man from Doncaster, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of forcing two underage girls to perform sexual acts and filming them. The case, which spanned eight years, involved victims from the United States who bravely reported Osborne’s actions to their local authorities.

The Crimes

In 2016, Osborne befriended one of his victims, a 15-year-old girl living in the United States, through social media. He sent her violent messages and coerced her into sending explicit videos of herself. Osborne threatened to post these images and videos online, warning that he would “ruin their lives” if they didn’t comply.

The Investigation

Hours of chat logs revealed Osborne’s disturbing behaviour. The Internet Sex Offences Team, in collaboration with US authorities, traced Osborne’s IP address and chat name, leading to his arrest in September 2016. During his initial interview, Osborne admitted to the offences but claimed he didn’t believe the girls were the ages they claimed.

Legal Proceedings

Originally, it was decided that Osborne would be tried in the US, but in 2021, a hearing ruled that he would face charges in the UK. In October 2022, despite initially pleading guilty, Osborne changed his plea to not guilty in front of the victims’ families. However, a six-day special hearing in February 2024 reaffirmed his original guilty pleas.

The Sentencing

On June 5, 2024, Sheffield Crown Court sentenced Osborne to 18 years in prison, with an extended license period of 23 years. He pleaded guilty to inciting children to commit sexual acts and blackmail. Both victims courageously confronted their abuser in court, reading out their impact statements.

Detective Constable Joanne Vaughan’s Statement

Detective Constable Joanne Vaughan, who oversaw the case, expressed gratitude to the victims: “I would like to thank the victims in this case for their bravery in facing their abuser and travelling to court from the US twice over two years. I hope this result can help them move on with their lives and put this individual’s horrific behaviour behind them. We will continue to pursue sex offenders, no matter where and when they commit their crimes.”