A man from Yorkshire has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for pleading guilty to encouraging a US citizen to take his own life during a video call.
Sentencing at Leeds Crown Court
Dylan Phelan, 21, was sentenced on Friday at Leeds Crown Court after previously admitting to intentionally performing an act capable of encouraging the suicide of another person. In October 2024, Travis Dyer, 21, from Louisiana, died by suicide during a call involving Phelan and two other men.
Phelan also pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images and one count of making an indecent image of a child.
During sentencing, Judge Barry Cotter criticized Phelan for indulging his "morbid curiosity" at the expense of Dyer's well-being, stating that the deceased needed "help and support but he got the very opposite of that from you." He added: "You wanted to feel like you had control over the actions of another. You showed no respect for the life of Travis Dyer."
The Discord Server and the Grooming
Phelan and the two other men were members of a private server on the Discord platform, which they called "Recovery4all." The server was created as a forum to discuss mental health issues and exchange advice. However, prosecution representative Andrew Petterson told the court that the name was "ironic" and that Phelan and the others sought to taunt Dyer and worsen his mental health.
The court heard that Dyer had experienced numerous personal hardships, including the drowning deaths of his mother and sister, which had led to a decline in his mental health. He contacted the group hoping for support but was instead exploited by Phelan and the other men, who convinced him to carve their initials into his skin and to purchase drugs and alcohol with his remaining money.
"The deceased shared his suicidal thoughts within the group and his plans to take his own life," said Petterson, who alleged that Phelan and his co-conspirators waged "a campaign of cruelty during which Travis Dyer was groomed into taking his own life."
The Final Call and Aftermath
During the last call, which was recorded, Phelan could be heard goading Dyer to kill himself, including telling him to "pull the trigger" and laughing. Dyer's body was only discovered after one of the other men in the group informed someone outside it of his death, leading to US police being contacted.
Phelan was brought to Elland police station by his parents, who had been informed by a woman with whom Phelan had an online correspondence that their son might have been involved in Dyer's death.
In addition to the six years and four months sentence, Phelan was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
