Portsmouth man jailed for role in online group that blackmailed children into abuse
The group on Telegram that targeted young people, forcing them to send indecent photos and even harm themselves
A 29-year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for his involvement in an online group that blackmailed children into creating and sharing indecent images of themselves.
Bradley Talbot operated as a core member of a Telegram-based organised crime group with over 6,000 members.
The group coerced children aged between 12 and 17 into producing explicit material through manipulation and threats to share their photos with family members if they did not comply.
Talbot also participated in more extreme abuse, including forcing victims to harm themselves by carving words onto their bodies.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), which investigated the case, identified more than 100 victims, with approximately 25% believed to be from the UK.
Messages shared within the Telegram group revealed that Talbot played an active role in directing the group’s activities.
He was found to have marketed and advertised child exploitation material and participated in livestreamed abuse of children.
In one message, Talbot suggested using a short video showcasing abuse to entice others to join the group.
Talbot pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court on 29th April 2025 to charges including participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group, arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, and distributing an indecent image of a child.
Today (21st November 2025), he was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison and was handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Wayne Johns, Head of CSA investigations at the NCA, said:
"Bradley Talbot operated callously online, with members of his group blackmailing children into creating the most degrading, humiliating and despicable material. His offending spanned from finding victims to actively promoting his depraved group to encourage new members to join.
"Com groups like this often promote a rhetoric of misogyny and violence against women and girls. Many offenders are not motivated by money or sexual gratification, but by the status and notoriety that comes with sharing shocking content. However, investigators discovered in this case that as well as seeking status as a core member of the group, Talbot also had a sexual interest in children.
"We worked closely with the Online CSA Covert Intelligence Team, Hampshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure Talbot was held accountable for his actions and as a result, he now faces a long prison sentence."
Kerry Smith, CEO of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), commented:
"Every day, our team sees images and videos which children have been forced into making themselves – in scenes where they are made to engage in some of the most extreme forms of sexual abuse.
"Vile predators like Talbot expose children to the most terrifying abuse, all so they can make a profit off the back of the suffering inflicted on the most vulnerable.
"And for children and young people facing these sorts of threats online – there is help out there. Our free and confidential Report Remove service means nude or sexual imagery can be taken down if it gets out of control online, or pre-emptively blocked if a criminal is threatening to expose it. Children mustn't face this sort of blackmail and coercion alone. Help is out there."
Jeanette Smith, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, noted the heavy toll of Talbot's crimes on victims:
"The victims in this case were forced to participate in the most degrading and humiliating acts, with the resulting material then shared worldwide. They became trapped in a web of fear where their own images became tools of manipulation and extortion, leaving them vulnerable to these depraved demands.
"Bradley Talbot played an active role in this organised crime group by marketing material derived from the sexual exploitation of children to other like-minded individuals. Despite his attempts to conceal evidence, our Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, in collaboration with the NCA, built a comprehensive picture of his crimes, resulting in his guilty pleas.
"The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to dismantle these dangerous criminal networks by prosecuting offenders and securing justice for victims."
The leader of the group has been arrested in Victoria, Australia, and is awaiting trial.
In May 2024, another member, Thomas Govan, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Service and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of 24 charges, including the rape of a child and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.