Sonia Chivers

Sonia Chivers, a 29-year-old woman from Driffield in East Yorkshire, was sentenced to three years and four months in jail at Hull Crown Court for a series of perverted sexual abuse offences involving children. The court heard how Chivers had joined an online group chat catering to adults with a sexual interest in children aged four and under, where she actively participated by sharing explicit material.

Prosecutors detailed that Chivers filmed herself engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children and distributed these videos to the group, effectively 'feeding' the predators' demands. Police seized her phone following her arrest in December 2020, uncovering two such videos and an additional indecent image of a child. The investigation revealed that Chivers had been discussing plans to abuse a child with an undercover officer prior to her apprehension, just a month after she joined the illicit chat.

Chivers pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13, as well as two counts each of making and distributing indecent images of children. In court, she claimed ignorance of how she was added to the group but admitted staying for the attention she received from members. Alongside her custodial sentence, Chivers was issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Hazel Stewart from the National Crime Agency (NCA), which supported the investigation, stated: 'Sonia Chivers claimed she generated child abuse material as she liked the attention, and in her own words, she “fed” the demand for this content by sharing it with others. This, in addition to engaging in very explicit online conversations about the sexual abuse of children, is behaviour that encourages others to commit abuse themselves and puts children in danger.' The NCA emphasised its priority in identifying and bringing to justice those who pose a sexual threat to children, working with law enforcement partners to safeguard vulnerable individuals.

The case, reported by Metro News on 4 October 2022, underscores the dangers of online groups facilitating child sexual exploitation, with Chivers' actions directly contributing to the proliferation of abusive content.