A PREDATORY paedophile who used social media to blackmail girls as young as 12, into sending nude photograph of themselves has been jailed for more than five years.

Keelan Rowley, 20, targeted 14 girls, including four who were just 12-years-old on social media sites including Instagram and Snapchat.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how during 2015, Rowley targeted the schoolgirls, who all lived in the Hertfordshire area, and demanded they send nude photographs or videos of themselves.

Rowley or Ruaton Drive, Clacton told the girls that if they failed to do what he asked he would subject them to sexual violence or share intimate pictures of them with their friends and family.

But Rowley came to the attention of Hertfordshire Police and when he was traced to his home address, the investigation was passed to Essex Police’s specialist Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT).

The investigation revealed that Rowley had targeted four 12-year-olds, two thirteen year-olds, two girls aged 14, one girl aged 15 and three girls aged 16. One girl refused to co-operate with police.

The court heard how two of the terrified victims complied with Rowley’s demands and he posted images and footage of them on social media.

The POLIT team executed a warrant at Rowley’s home in November 2015 and he was arrested.

Rowley was charged and admitted two counts of inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, five counts of inciting sexual exploitation of a child aged between 13 and 17,five counts of inciting a child aged between 13 and 17 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making an indecent image of a child and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Rowley was jailed for 64 months, put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Investigating officer Det Con Suzanne O’Neill of Essex Police’s POLIT team, said: “Rowley was a cold and calculated sexual predator.

“He used social media to target young girls and blackmailed and exploited them to comply with his demands. Two of them were so terrified they did everything he asked.

“However these girls have shown nothing but bravery and courage and have worked with us to make sure Rowley is put behind bars where he belongs.

“We know offenders like Rowley use social media to sexually exploit young people and that’s why we urge people to know how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe online.”