Man who encouraged woman to kill herself sentenced

A man has been sentenced after he “repeatedly and persistently” encouraged a vulnerable woman he met online to kill herself.

Tyler Webb, 23, connected with his victim on social media before asking the woman, who cannot be named, to harm herself for his own “sexual gratification”.

Police said the victim’s bravery was “profound” in reporting the offence, which led to Webb being the first person in the country to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Webb was given a hybrid order of nine years and four months, which will see him detained at a mental health facility and if deemed fit to leave, he will serve the remainder in prison.

Although Webb being charged was a legal first, the Crown Prosecution (CPS) said other cases brought since then had already concluded.

Webb, of King Crescent South in Loughborough, Leicestershire, admitted encouraging suicide and one count of encouraging or assisting someone to seriously self-harm at a hearing in May.

Alex Johnson, from the CPS, described the case as a “watershed prosecution” and said “as far as he is aware”, this is the only case this offence has been used to prosecute someone targeting a vulnerable person via social media.

At Leicester Crown Court on Friday, prosecutor Louise Oakley said Webb first met the victim on a social media forum – where mental health difficulties were being discussed – and, after their contact, started encouraging her to harm herself on the Telegram messaging app.

He then asked her to send him pictures of injuries, and the court heard he would use them for his own sexual pleasure.

Webb later encouraged her to kill herself and told her to carry out the attempt on a video call so he could watch.

During a 44-minute call on 2 July last year, Webb made persistent efforts to get her to end her own life and, when it become apparent she would not do so, he said he would block further contact with her.

She reported what had happened to police the next day and he was arrested at his home on 10 July.

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