Jordan Croft, a 26-year-old man described by the court as a 'perverse' and 'serial paedophile', conducted a prolonged campaign of online grooming and blackmail targeting vulnerable young girls. Operating under the guise of a teenage boy, Croft befriended his victims on social media and messaging applications, initially building trust before coercing them into sending intimate images. Once he had compromising material, he exploited it to demand increasingly depraved acts, turning the girls into what he called 'sex slaves' through manipulative contracts and threats.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered Croft's activities after investigating his devices, which contained 906 encrypted images of child sexual abuse material. Croft admitted to 65 offences, including causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity, blackmail, making indecent images of children, and sexual exploitation. His victims, numbering 26 and ranging in age from 12 to 22, were subjected to extreme control: Croft monitored their daily lives, requiring permission even for basic activities like using the toilet, and forced some to place notes in their underwear as reminders of his ownership. In one chilling message to a victim, Croft declared, 'I’m a 22 yo pedo, into girls 12-14.' He boasted about evading detection, claiming he had 'completely covered my digital tracks and I cannot be traced by law enforcement'.
Croft's methods were sadistic and premeditated. He spammed over 5,000 female users on a single app to cast a wide net for potential victims. Once ensnared, he created lists of their family and friends, threatening to distribute the explicit images unless they complied. Some victims were coerced into filming themselves performing sex acts on themselves or even on seven-year-olds they knew, and into signing digital 'contracts' pledging their bodies to him, such as: 'My body is property of Jordan’s throughout this contract. I will perform all activities he requires.' The abuse extended to invading their privacy, with Croft demanding access to their bedrooms and homes via video.
At Lewes Crown Court, Ms Justice Laing sentenced Croft to 26 years' imprisonment, acknowledging his guilty plea which reduced the maximum term. She described his actions as a 'lengthy, premeditated campaign of sadistic and manipulative abuse of many young girls', emphasising how he exploited their vulnerability between ages 12 and 15. 'You did everything you could to control them, making them agree to bizarre contracts where they had to agree to your every whim,' she stated. The judge noted the profound impact on victims, leaving them feeling isolated, without safe spaces, and compelled to submit to his 'depraved demands'. She deemed Croft 'extremely dangerous'.
The NCA's investigation highlighted Croft's toilet fetish, with rules forcing victims to seek permission for bathroom use, underscoring the totality of his psychological domination. This case, reported by The Independent on 11 November 2022, serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online predation and the importance of law enforcement vigilance in combating child sexual exploitation.