British court jails two men for encouraging girls to self-harm and then sharing images online

The case is believed to be the first such conviction under the Online Safety Act 2023 in Britain. Photo / 123rf

Two men were jailed by a London court today for offences against two “vulnerable” teenage girls, including encouraging serious self-harm, in one of Britain’s first such cases.

Charlie Johnson, 24, and Prince Singh, 23, encouraged their victims, who were aged 16 and 17, to carve their names into themselves, before sharing the images in an online chatroom on the Discord platform, prosecutors told Woolwich Crown Court.

One of the girls used the blade from a pencil sharpener to carve one of the defendant’s names on her body.

The aim was not just for the victims to scratch themselves but to cause “permanent scarring” and lasting physical injury, Jonathan Mole for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), told the court.

One of the girls said she still has “nightmares of the abuse”.

“It’s like he built a cage inside me that I’m still trying to escape,” she told the court.

“I cannot process why he was proud of the things he did, things that have left me scarred.”

The case is believed to be the first conviction for encouraging serious self-harm under the Online Safety Act 2023 following trial by jury, the CPS said.

Johnson was also convicted during the October trial of two charges of assaulting the victims when they met in person.

‘Serious offences’

Judge Ruth Downing sentenced Johnson to four years in prison, and Singh to two years and nine months behind bars.

Singh’s sentence was shorter, Downing said, in part because, unlike Johnson, he was convicted of encouraging self-harm to just one of the two victims and not both, and because he pleaded guilty shortly before the trial.

“I think both these men took a deeply unhealthy interest in this idea of encouraging these women to self-harm,” she said, stressing these were “serious offences” in 2024 against “vulnerable” young women.

The pair were friends on and offline, and both previously worked in finance.

“Johnson and Singh encouraged their victims to self-harm for their own sexual gratification – and displayed several examples of controlling or coercive behaviour that made the victims feel they had no choice but to comply with their requests,” a CPS statement said.

Both men were also convicted of two charges each of taking and distributing indecent photographs of a child, which will be served concurrently, the judge said, admitting all parties have “struggled a bit” to decide on sentencing for what is quite a “novel case”.

The first person to be charged for this offence under this same act, the CPS said, was Tyler Webb earlier this year.

Webb, who did not face trial after pleading guilty, was given a prison term of over nine years for encouraging a vulnerable woman to self-harm and attempt suicide via the Telegram app.

WHERE TO GET HELP:• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 (available 24/7)• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (12pm to 11pm)• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)• Anxiety helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY) (available 24/7)• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

-Agence France-Presse