Paedophile Sent Videos of Murders and Babies Being Raped to Teenage Girls
Christian Matthews, aged 23, from Bridgend, has been sentenced after sending disturbing images to teenage girls, trying to coerce them into sending naked pictures, and even instructing one of them to take her own life. Matthews sent videos of babies being raped and people being murdered to two teenage girls he communicated with online. The court heard he also sent explicit images of himself, asked for nude photographs, and engaged in graphic conversations with the victims who were only 13 years old at the time.
“A ‘predatory and depraved’ paedophile sent videos of babies being raped and people being murdered to two teenage girls he spoke to online.”
The first victim, who initially connected with Matthews via the Bigo Live app, later moved their conversations to Snapchat where the defendant pressured her for nude photos, despite knowing her age. He persistently requested explicit images and even sent disturbing videos of himself. The interactions escalated when Matthews started sending the victim graphic content through the Telegram app, including images of child abuse and violent videos.
Prosecutor Tom Roberts revealed that Matthews sent around 600 images of child abuse, adult pornography, and gore videos to the victims. He also pressured the second victim, whom he met on Snapchat, for intimate images and discussed his own viewing of child abuse materials. Matthews made threatening comments and sent explicit videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with the victims.
Matthews was confronted when the second victim’s sister discovered the disturbing messages and reported them to their mother, who then contacted the authorities. The defendant, who had a previous conviction for possessing indecent images, pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to causing or inciting a child to watch or engage in sexual activities, distributing indecent images of children, and engaging in sexual communication with a child.
In court, the victims recounted the significant impact of Matthews’ actions on their mental health and well-being. The first victim expressed feelings of betrayal and mistrust, leading to self-harm and sleep disturbances due to graphic flashbacks. The second victim described nightmares, anxiety, social withdrawal, and self-harm as a result of the traumatic experience.
Defence barrister Peter Donnison highlighted Matthews’ isolated upbringing and genetic condition, contributing to his actions. Despite this, Judge Daniel Williams condemned Matthews’ predatory behavior as “depraved” and sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison. Matthews was also placed on the sex offender registry indefinitely and received a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual offenses, contact The Survivors Trust at 08088 010 818 for support.