14-year-old UK schoolgirl groomed online via Discord and Snapchat by Karl Davies, leading to self-harm encouragement and 20-year jail sentence under Online Safety Act 2023
Summary
A 14-year-old UK schoolgirl was groomed online by Karl Davies, who encouraged her to self-harm and engaged in sexual activity with her. Davies, 43, used fake profiles on Discord and Snapchat to target the vulnerable girl, who had learning disabilities and ADHD, and was in care. He posed as a teenage boy and later as a "saviour" named Mark, while controlling other fake accounts to manipulate her. The abuse included explicit videos and in-person meetings where he encouraged self-harm, including using a razor blade. Davies was arrested in February 2025 after the victim gave a detailed police interview and was jailed for 20 years, becoming the first person in the UK to be prosecuted for encouraging a child to self-harm under the Online Safety Act 2023. Police revealed he had been arrested in 2020 on similar suspicion but was not charged, and his wife had previously suspected an affair but was unable to confirm it.
Incident Details
Content or interactions that contribute to self-harm, suicidal ideation, or eating disorders.
Non-suicidal self-injury facilitated or encouraged through online interactions.
Sources
1This incident is documented by a single source. Source count reflects coverage in our monitored feeds, not the totality of reporting, and we do not evaluate publication quality.