A man described by police as one of the most 'prolific and depraved' sexual predators they have encountered has been handed an 18-year prison sentence for a horrific catalogue of child sex crimes.
Barthimaus Ehiemere, 25, from Hackney, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court for 47 offences against seven known victims, including the rape of two 12-year-old boys.
A Pattern of Systematic Grooming
The court heard how Ehiemere used social media platforms, including Snapchat and the now-discontinued Spotafriend app, to systematically groom boys aged between 12 and 16.
He manipulated his victims by sending them gifts, money, and praise to coerce them into providing sexual imagery. Detectives from the Met's Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation team stated that he would then use this illegal content to advertise and encourage other boys to do the same.
Shockingly, Ehiemere did not stop there. He was found to have actively bragged about his activities and sold the child abuse images to other sex offenders, demonstrating what prosecutor James Brown KC called a 'deep-seated and commercial interest in the sexual abuse of young teenage boys'.
A History of Offending and Evasion
This was not Ehiemere's first encounter with the law. He was initially arrested in 2020 after police received information that his phone was being used to distribute indecent images of children.
For that offence, he was sentenced in February 2021 at Wood Green Crown Court to an eight-month suspended sentence in a young offenders' institution and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
However, his predatory behaviour continued. By October 2024, police had identified initial victims and, after seizing another of his devices, discovered footage of him raping a 12-year-old boy. Investigators ultimately found more than 1,600 indecent images of children on four phones and devices seized from him.
Justice Served and a Warning Issued
Sentencing Ehiemere, Judge Timothy Greene told him: 'You are a serious danger to young boys with whom you come into contact.'
In addition to the 18-year custodial term, Ehiemere was handed a further four-year licence period and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The profound impact on his victims was laid bare in an impact statement read to the court. One victim revealed they were 'waking up with nightmares' about their tormentor, adding, 'It took me a long time to realise I was a child and it wasn't my fault.'
Detective Constable Lindsey Luscombe, who led the investigation, emphasised the insidious nature of online child sex abuse and its grave real-world consequences. She described Ehiemere's 'dangerous pattern of offending' and appealed for any other potential victims to come forward.
In mitigation, Barry Kogan said his client wished to 'express his deep shame and remorse' and apologise for the distress caused, claiming Ehiemere had been 'badly influenced' by an adult who encouraged him to sell the illegal images.
Ehiemere pled guilty to 32 counts before trial, including rape of a child under 13, and was found guilty by a jury on a further 15 charges.
