This story contains details that many readers may find upsetting.
An English labourer has been jailed for 25 years for targeting more than 5000 boys in a sickening online paedophile campaign.
David Nicholas Wilson, 36, of King's Lynn, Norfolk, posed as multiple teenage girls to approach boys on Facebook and other social media platforms.
After building trust, he would send nude photos of young women in exchange for pictures and videos of the boys.
READ MORE: Serial paedophile who blamed victims set to be released from jail
The National Crime Agency said he would then blackmail his victims into sending him more extreme footage, in some cases forcing them to abuse friends or younger siblings.
In several occasions he sent the images of the victims to their friends.
He was arrested by the Agency in August last year during a raid on his mother's home, where he also lived.
Wilson was sentenced overnight to 25 years prison after admitting to 96 sex offences to boys aged between four and 14.
Judge Rupert Overbury described him as a "serial paedophile".
"You demonstrated a complete and utter disregard for every child you manipulated irrespective of their age," Judge Overbury told Wilson.
"There was a sadistic element to your offending including blackmail and a relentless targeting of vulnerable children who often pleaded for mercy.
"You are in my judgement an extremely dangerous individual who has a perverted and sadistic sexual interest in young boys."
Wilson preyed on the vulnerability of his victims, said the Agency's Tony Cook.
"David Wilson has absolutely devastated not only his victims but the families they belong to," he said.
"He groomed, bullied and blackmailed young boys into sending him indecent images and in some instances performing horrific abuse on themselves and others.
"Despite knowing their utter anguish and despair he ignored their pleas for him to stop."
Wilson approached more than 5000 boys on Facebook, with at least 500 sending him sexual images of themselves.
Several of his victims were so traumatised they spoke of ending their lives.
The majority of Wilson's crimes were committed on Facebook, with the social media giant making 90 referrals about his offending.
But the National Crime Agency slammed Facebook for its plans to encrypt its messenger service.
"Facebook's plans are a disaster for child safety and law enforcement and mean the very many other David Wilsons out there will not be caught," the Agency's director of threat leadership Rob Jones said.
"Criminals will be drawn to Facebook, emboldened and confident it's a place they can search for children to sexually abuse with complete impunity.
"Facebook Messenger is already strongly encrypted, enabling them to detect grooming and known abuse images while protecting privacy."
"There are two billion people on Facebook and we know a large number of them are targeting children to abuse them.
Mr Jones said it was not too late for Facebook to change their minds about encrypting messages.
"In 2019 Facebook made 15.8 million global referrals of child sexual abuse material, they have been a huge help to lawful investigations and child safeguarding."
"But their plans will create a haven for child sex offenders to congregate to target children."
Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
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