A schoolboy who was abused online by a prolific paedophile hiding behind a fake social media profile has told how he was made to feel suicidal as the predator threatened to share an indecent image of him across the internet.
The child, speaking anonymously, said he had just created his first Instagram account aged 11 when he was approached by an account using pictures of a girl around his age.
He did not know it at the time, but the account was controlled by David Wilson, now aged 36, of Kirstead, King's Lynn, Norfolk.
Wilson, who used fake profiles to get boys to send him indecent images, was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday for 25 years for 96 child sex abuse offences relating to 52 victims.
Prolific paedophile from King's Lynn jailed for 25 years (Wa
The National Crime Agency believes that Wilson approached more than 5,000 young boys globally.
The boy, from Norfolk, said: "This girl approached me in a way that was normal, seemed like an approachable person of my age.
"It was believable for me to think it was just a normal girl that I thought was attractive at the time and therefore continued to talk to her."
He said that over time the account "began to threaten and harass me".
"As I was scared telling them to leave me alone constantly, he asked me to send indecent images in exchange to leave," he said.
"As an 11-year-old kid, you just want them to go, so I did."
He said that more than a year later, another account, using the photos of a different girl around the same age, approached him, but this time he was wary.
"I had a feeling that this was a predator and I immediately took action and told them to leave," he said.
"That was when this time with this account they weren't pleasant and they immediately said they had a picture, which was the indecent image that I sent almost two years back."
He said the account demanded another indecent image or it would spread the previous one "all across the internet".
"He took advantage of my youth and innocence, counting down from ten to one and that's really, really drowning for a child," the boy said.
He said Wilson "knew that I was frightened and trapped inside his evil game" but he "didn't care about that".
"He just wanted more indecent images for his own satisfaction," the boy said.
"I was just finding the courage to tell my parents and I did.
"I'm so thankful for that."
He said his parents were not angry with him, which was something he had been scared of, and they immediately called the police.
"At 12 years of age I was abused, blackmailed, made to feel suicidal," he said.
"That's something that no kid should have to go through."
He said he wanted to speak about what happened after learning that Wilson had targeted other children too.
"To all of David Wilson's victims - there are no words that we can use to describe this evil man, but we have won," he said.
"I'm ready for this man to rot in prison."
The boy's mother said she felt "guilty" about what happened, adding: "You feel you should be there for them and you feel that you should be able to protect them against anything, and someone like this just worms their way into your house."
She added: "This isn't something that always happens to somebody else's child.
"It could happen to anybody.
"It's really important to speak to your children, make them aware of people like David Wilson and also make them aware that they can come to you, they can tell you anything.
"They shouldn't be frightened to do so.
"In this case, with my son, the reason why it didn't go as far as it probably could have done is because he was brave enough to come to us and tell us what had happened."
If you have been affected by anything in this report then information and advice can be found on the Thinkuknow website. Links also include advice for parents, carers and professionals.
If you need help or support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust’s First Response helpline on 0808 196 3494. Both operate 24/7.
Alternatively download the Stay Alive app, if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else.
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