Cameron Osman

Cameron Osman, a 45-year-old man from Southampton, was sentenced to 13 years in prison at St Albans Crown Court for a series of online grooming offences targeting teenage boys. The National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation revealed that between 2020 and 2021, Osman posed as a 16-year-old girl using the alias 'Lizzielemon' to engage more than 70 underage boys in sexualised conversations across platforms such as Instagram, Google Hangouts, and Skype.

Osman, who had previously worked as a children's holiday camp manager in Hailsham, East Sussex, avoided revealing his true identity by claiming his camera was broken during video interactions. He fabricated stories about 'Lizzielemon' being from Bristol or Birmingham and expressed fetishes involving dominating boys in school uniforms, sports kits, and teacher/student role plays. The NCA tracked Osman to a friend's address in Crowborough, East Sussex, where he was arrested in September 2021, shortly after he resigned from his job at the holiday camp. Investigations found no evidence of grooming at the camp itself.

Chat logs seized by law enforcement showed Osman's sexualised communications with boys from 27 different countries. Additionally, while on bail, Osman re-offended by pretending to be a younger man and was arrested again on 27 March 2022. He pleaded guilty on 2 May 2023 to 36 charges, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and making two category C indecent images of children.

Alongside the 13-year custodial sentence, Osman received five years on extended licence and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. NCA operations manager Danielle Pownall stated: 'Cameron Osman pretended to be a teenage girl to prey on boys for his own sexual gratification. His offending affected dozens of children, who now have to live with the consequences of his actions. I would like to commend their bravery in coming forward, which has helped put Osman behind bars.' The NCA emphasised its ongoing commitment to targeting online child sexual abuse.