A 27-year-old man named Samuel Ward from Newmarket, Suffolk, has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail for engaging in online scams that targeted women and teenage girls. Ward enticed his victims to send him intimate photos in exchange for large sums of money, but then failed to pay them the agreed amount. He admitted to a variety of offenses including fraud and creating indecent images of children.
Adam Priestley, a senior investigating officer with the National Crime Agency (NCA), emphasized that Ward specifically targeted young women and teenage girls with false promises of payments. The investigation was initiated after a 17-year-old girl in Florida reported his activities to US law enforcement agencies. It was discovered that Ward had approached 40 women and girls, with 18 of them falling victim to his scam, including four who were underage.
Despite presenting a doctored image of a hefty bank balance, authorities revealed that Ward’s bank statements showed he had been in overdraft throughout the entire offending period. He eventually admitted to making payments of only £3 and £1 to two of his victims.
Ward, who pleaded guilty to 19 charges, was also subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. The investigation also revealed that he had targeted victims on multiple social media platforms including Instagram, Snapchat, and Tinder from 2019 to 2021. In a bid to report further news on East of England, individuals are encouraged to visit its social media pages or reach out via email or WhatsApp.
