Jailed: Online predator who pretended to be 12-year-old girl to obtain indecent images

Dominic Woodcock was jailed for four years and eight months and put on the sex offenders register for life at Birmingham Crown Court on April 3 after pleading guilty to possession of indecent images and engaging children into sexual activity.

The court had heard how the 20-year-old, of Round Road in Erdington, had used a fake profile on various social media channels to befriend young girls between 2021 and 2023, pretending to be a 12-year-old involved in a gymnastics club.

West Midlands Police said that Woodcock would encourage girls, mainly aged between 10 and 12, to take up gymnastics then, after developing a rapport, would then request indecent images and threaten to expose them on social media if they refused.

The force said that as soon as it was alerted to what Woodcock was doing, he was quickly identified and arrested, with officers discovering concerning images and messages on his phone.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "An online predator who pretended to be a 12-year-old girl to encourage other young people to share indecent images has been jailed.

"We discovered Dominic Woodcock had used a fake profile on various social media channels to befriend young girls between 2021 and 2023.

"He claimed to be involved in a gymnastics club and encouraged girls - mainly aged between 10 and 12 - to pursue such a career.

"However, once a rapport was established Woodcock would request indecent images of the girls and threatened to expose them on social media if they refused.

"After being alerted to his depraved behaviour we quickly identified and arrested Woodcock from Erdington.

"We seized his phone and found concerning images and messages.

"The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images and engaging children into sexual activity.

"He was jailed for four years and eight months at Birmingham Crown Court last Wednesday (3 April) and put on the sex offenders register for life."

DC Justin Mulholland, from West Midlands Police public protection unit, said: "This was despicable behaviour which would have continued had we not managed to identify and arrest Woodcock.

"He posed as a girl called Chloe and took advantage of young children to satisfy his own depraved desires.

"We believe there could be more young girls who were exposed to his wicked ways and we'd ask anyone who suspects their child may have been targeted to report this to us.

"You can do this by calling 101 or Live Chat on our website.

"You can also report online concerns and get further online safety via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection website at west-midlands.police.uk/news/www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/"