Paedophile encouraged girl, 14, to self harm

Kai Edmundson was jailed for five years and three months during a hearing at Preston Crown Court

An man who groomed a teenage girl and encouraged her to self-harm after openly describing himself as a paedophile has been jailed.

Kai Edmundson used messaging apps Telegram, Discord and WhatsApp to target the vulnerable 14-year-old, Preston Crown Court heard.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, encouraging or assisting serious self-harm and possessing indecent images of children.

The 18-year-old, of no fixed address but formerly of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.

The court heard Edmundson did not meet his victim but groomed her over a four-month period and encouraged her to self-harm.

The victim, who is from Derbyshire, told Edmundson she was 14 when they first began communicating over Discord in September 2024.

'Serious risk'

Edmundson openly referred to himself as a paedophile, the court heard, as well as sending the girl up to five indecent images of children and a link to a website where other images could be accessed.

He also encouraged the victim's eating disorder.

Contact between Edmundson and the girl stopped on 31 January and the matter was reported to Derbyshire Police.

Officers recovered screenshots of conversations between the victim and a profile on Discord which was being operated by Edmundson and he was arrested on 1 April.

When his phone was seized, officers found indecent images of children.

Edmundson was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Speaking after Friday's hearing, Det Sgt Nicholas Barker said Edmundson was "someone who presents a serious risk to children".

He praised the victim "for the immense bravery she has shown throughout this process".