Last week, solicitor and managing director Marcus Johnstone was quoted by Sky News in their report on the conviction of Taylor Watt.
Watt, who is the first person to be prosecuted under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act, was sentenced to nine years and four months imprisonment, subject to detention at a secure mental health facility. He was found guilty of inciting suicide and self-harm, related to communications with a vulnerable young girl over the video service Telelgram.
Discussing the case and the sustained increase in prosecutions for online-related offences, Marcus said:
‘Whilst's Webb's conviction may be a legal first, there is no question that it won't be the last. In my practice, the majority of cases I deal with relate to allegations of online offending, and many of our clients are the parents of vulnerable young men that have been tricked, tripped or radicalised into criminality.
Measures to manage and mitigate online crimes are always welcome, although they will always be limited in their efficacy. In reality, the tiny number of cases that are prosecuted pale in comparison to the number of offences actually committed - and the authorities will never have anything like the training, the resources or the manpower needed to stamp-out online offending.’
Marcus has previously been quoted by Sky News in a report on new regulations imposed by Ofcom, forcing online pornography websites to introduce age-verification measures.
You can find the full report on our press and media portal.