A predatory paedophile who masqueraded as a teenage girl on social media to groom and blackmail dozens of young boys has been sentenced to 21 years in prison. Jay Lang, 24, from Canvey Island in Essex, conducted a sophisticated three-year campaign of abuse, which is now the subject of a chilling new documentary.
The Deceptive Online Persona
Lang created fake accounts on Snapchat and Instagram using a pseudonym, presenting himself as a 16-year-old girl named 'Chloe'. He specifically targeted boys aged between 11 and 16, initiating conversations that he would steer towards sexually explicit content.
He then encouraged the victims to send him indecent videos and photographs of themselves. Unbeknownst to the boys, Lang was using a screen-recording app on his phone to capture and save every image. This archive of material later became his tool for blackmail.
After obtaining the initial compromising material, Lang would reveal his true identity as a man. He then demanded either more explicit images or cash payments, threatening to publish the existing pictures to the victims' friends and families if they refused to comply.
A Vast Web of Abuse Unravels
The offending, which spanned from 2019 to 2021, finally came to light in November 2021 when a courageous victim contacted Essex Police. This report triggered one of the force's largest ever investigations into child sexual exploitation.
Forensic analysis of Lang's phone uncovered a staggering haul of evidence: 540 videos and approximately 140,000 indecent images. Police identified 220 potential victims, with 26 providing full evidential accounts to officers.
The court heard harrowing details of the abuse. One boy, after being blackmailed, felt he had no choice but to agree to meet Lang in person. Lang drove him to a secluded location in a van and sexually assaulted him. In another case, Lang blackmailed a boy into filming himself performing a sex act with a friend and demanded £2,000, threatening to post the images on Facebook.
'Keep Digging': Grooming the Police
A new episode of Channel 4's Social Media Monsters, airing on Tuesday at 10pm, features police interview footage with Lang after his arrest in November 2021. In the clip, analysed by experts, Lang is heard taunting detectives, telling them to 'keep digging' and claiming the evidence would not point to him.
Detective Sergeant Ben Rushmere, the supervising officer, observed that Lang's behaviour during the interview was an extension of his offending pattern. 'He was trying to groom us as well,' DS Rushmere stated. 'They almost play the victim themselves in front of us.'
Clinical psychologist Dr Roberta Babb provided further analysis, noting that Lang's phrase 'keep digging' demonstrated a profound lack of remorse and was a tactic to maintain control and a sense of superiority, core drivers of his predatory behaviour.
Justice Served
At Basildon Crown Court in September 2023, Jay Lang pleaded guilty to 46 offences. These included causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, blackmail, and causing or inciting child sexual exploitation.
In addition to his 21-year custodial sentence, he was given an extended licence period of six years. The judge also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered Lang to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
The case serves as a stark warning about the dangers of online grooming and the sophisticated tactics used by predators. It also highlights the critical importance of victims coming forward, as demonstrated by the brave action that ultimately ended Lang's campaign of terror.
