A Surrey man who groomed a nine-year-old girl online and repeatedly asked her for sexual photographs and videos has been jailed for 54 months. Daniel Willacy, 29, from Woking, appeared at Guildford Crown Court last week, where he was sentenced for multiple offences, including causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual communication with a child.
Grooming and messages
Willacy first contacted the girl using an alias, according to Surrey Police. His messages quickly turned sexual in nature, with him sending 36 messages within 26 minutes at one point. He repeatedly asked the nine-year-old for indecent photographs and videos and encouraged her to make videos of herself engaging in sexual activity and send them to him.
The offending was reported to police in February 2024 after the girl's mother and sister found Snapchat and Instagram messages from Willacy on her phone. Officers established that the Instagram account used to contact the girl had been accessed from Willacy's home address on several occasions.
Arrest and evidence
Willacy was arrested following further enquiries. A forensic examination of the girl's phone recovered the chat log with Willacy's account, as well as the video she had been groomed into making and sending to him.
He pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming. In addition to the prison sentence, he was given a 10-year restraining order protecting the victim.
Police comment
Detective Constable Jo Holland, who investigated the case, said Willacy “used an alias to trick the victim into engaging with him”. She said: “It didn’t take him long to reveal the real reason he had reached out to her.” DC Holland described his demands for photographs and videos as “wholly inappropriate and unacceptable”. She added that his behaviour was stopped before Willacy and the girl were able to meet.
DC Holland urged anyone concerned about themselves or someone close to them being targeted or groomed online to contact police.
