Child victims of blackmail paedophile praised

The young victims of a "devious and depraved paedophile" who blackmailed nine girls into performing sex acts online have been praised by police.

Mark Dodds, 38 and from Spennymoor, County Durham, was jailed for 20 years for about 60 offences, including sending graphic videos of his victims to their friends if they refused to comply with his demands.

Durham Police said he was naked and livestreaming indecent images when they arrested him at his home in November 2023.

Speaking after Dodds was jailed, Det Sgt Lorraine Medd said the victims had been "central to the success" of the force's investigation.

Dodds befriended the girls online while posing as a teenager, then pressured them into sending him sexual images of themselves.

He then threatened to send the images to the girls' friends and family if they did not send more, a threat he carried out.

Dodds carried on offending even while under police investigation.

Det Sgt Medd said Dodds was "manipulative and dangerous" and "relentlessly preyed upon and groomed children", causing them "horrific trauma".

"Where they showed fear or unwillingness, he would cause them to fear for their safety and, at times, their lives," Det Sgt Medd said.

"Dodds is devious and depraved and showed no remorse."

She said the victims played a key role in getting Dodds jailed: "They have co-operated at great emotional cost and carried themselves with courage and dignity throughout the whole process.

"Due to their age at the time, many of the victims didn't realise they had been subjected to a crime until we visited them, and this has been incredibly distressing for them to come to terms with.

"Without their strength and determination, we would have been unable to achieve this sentence and hopefully this is now closure for them, and they can start their journey to recover from what has been a living nightmare."

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