A "sadistic" paedophile who admitted 158 charges in connection with the exploitation of nearly 2,000 victims around the world after posing online as a sugar daddy will be sentenced later this year.
Abdul Hasib Elahi, 26, masqueraded as a stockbroker or rich businessmen and blackmailed victims to abuse send degrading footage and images of themselves, their siblings and other children.
He then sold the footage as "box sets" to other offenders and provided "masterclasses" on the encrypted Telegram app to help other paedophiles avoid detection, making more than £25,000. Some of the victims were as young as eight months old.
The host of charges, compiled by the National Crime Agency (NCA) after a lengthy investigation, is thought to be the highest number of offences one individual has ever pleaded guilty to.
Elahi, from Birmingham, singled out victims who were in debt or too young to legitimately be on the sites, tricking them into sending naked of partially clothed images of themselves.
A view of the National Crime Agency (NCA) sign in Westminster, London.
Kirsty O'Connor
He also targeted some victims on social media. He promised payment of thousands of pounds for posed images and sent fake screenshots of money leaving his account in similar transactions to convince victims.
NCA agents uncovered evidence of at least 196 victims in the UK, contacts with up to 600 more online, and exposed how Elahi had tried to contact 1,367 women in the United States, with victims in 20 other countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The court heard such is the scope of Elahi’s offending, it will take the sentencing judge the best part of two days just to read the Crown Prosecution Service’s case opening – which runs to 326 pages.
Directing an adjournment, Judge Paul Farrer QC said: “At three minutes a page, that is 900 minutes – so it is well over 10 hours of reading.
“If a judge is expected to read every word it will take more than a day just to read it.”
The sentencing itself will stretch to two full days and may run to a third, the court also heard. Judge Farrer said the case would be sentenced, starting on December 8.
Tony Cook, NCA Head of CSA operations, said: “The investigation team have been horrified by Elahi’s sadistic depravity and stunned by the industrial scale of his worldwide offending.
“Elahi sought sexual gratification from having power and control of his victims and he’s displayed zero empathy for them.
“He often goaded them to the point of wanting to kill themselves.
“The effects on the victims in this case will continue throughout the rest of their lives.
“I commend the victims for their bravery and I urge anyone who is being abused online to report it. There is help available.
“Sadly there are very many offenders like Elahi who mask their real identities with convincing personas to exploit both children and adults.
He added: “We thank our international partners especially the FBI for the support given to us on this case.”
Sophie Mortimer, of the Revenge Porn Helpline, said: “We have been working with the National Crime Agency to remove the online content on behalf of the victims for over 18 months.
“We have managed to remove thousands of images but there is more outstanding and this work will continue for many months to come.
“This content is some of the most extreme that the Helpline has ever dealt with.
“It is not simply nudity or sexually graphic, it is violent, degrading and deeply harmful.
“The impact of the sharing of this content is devastating and life-changing and should not be underestimated.”
