Mark Dodds, 38, received the extended sentence, of which he must serve at least two-thirds, after being convicted of a total of 60 offences involving ten girls, mostly in the UK, but some in the US.
It involved him grooming and then soliciting indecent images of the victims, who were mostly aged 12 to 13, but in one case was as young as nine.
He persuaded them to send him images of them performing sex acts on themselves, before threatening to distribute them to friends and family members unless further, more explicit photos, were sent to him.
The Crown Prosecution Service said, after the hearing, that over a ten-year period, Dodds used Snapchat – a messaging app – to incite numerous girls into carrying out sexual acts over live video calls and described Dodds as “a prolific sexual predator”.
(Image: Durham Constabulary) Newcastle Crown Court heard that when the victims failed to comply with his requests for more images, he followed up his threat to disclose them to family members and/or a circle of their friends.
He refused to curtail his activities despite an online confrontation with the mother of one victim, who he berated for swearing, while in another case he carried on his conduct despite being told the victim was feeling low after the death of her father.
The court heard he used pseudonyms online, making the young girls believe they were communication with teenage boys and in one case another teenage girl, using images obtained from another victim.
His offending was said to have had a profound psychological effect on his victims, one of whom stopped attending school out of shame, while others were left a pale shadow of their former selves.
(Image: Durham Constabulary) Dodds, of Heather Grove, Spennymoor, was initially arrested in 2020 for activities dating back to about 2015, but, released “under investigation”, he continued a similar pattern of offending until police visited him again in November 2023, when his electronic devices were seen to be displaying indecent images of children.
Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said Dodds struggled violently trying to prevent officers seizing his electronic devices and gaining access to his property.
He was subdued and several devices were seized.
But Mr Cleasby said the investigation was hampered and became protracted as the defendant refused to disclose passwords and then PIN numbers to some of the devices, prolonging inquiries before access was gained.
It revealed more evidence of serious online sexual abuse and blackmail of children in 2022 up to November 2023.
Investigators found that he organised the images and footage secured during his offending into folders bearing the names of the girls involved.
The defendant admitted most charges at a plea hearing in March last year, having indicated likely guilty pleas when he appeared before magistrates.
But he was found guilty of six counts, including five of sexual assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, following a trial at Durham Crown Court, in October.
Following preparation of psychological and background probation reports on the defendant, he appeared before trial judge, Recorder Tom Moran, for sentence today (Monday January 6).
Andrew Stranex, representing Dodds, told the court the defendant was aware he was facing a lengthy custodial sentence.
“He did accept substantially what the Crown alleged against him.
“What’s going to follow is a substantial custodial sentence which will punish him and ensure the public is protected from him during the period of incarceration.
“An important element of that will allow him to work, if he chooses to, to address the behaviour that brings him before the court.
“Whether he addresses what emerges out of this is a matter for him.”
Recorder Moran said the defendant was guilty of, “outrageous conduct” against children and displayed, “breathtaking arrogance”, in response to requests to desist his activities by his victims and members of their families.
He told Dodds he used “cunning and planning” to carry out his “controlling and emotionally manipulative” activities, but said he came across in his probation report as a “self-obsessed, self-pitying individual.”
The Recorder said the probation report author considered the defendant to pose, “a high risk of serious harm to children.”
He told Dodds: “I’m satisfied you are not just dangerous, you are highly dangerous.
“The risk includes direct contact offences and offences you may commit online.”
Recorder Moran told Dodds he must serve at least two-thirds of the 20-year total sentence and he will then be subject to six years’ extended licence period.
Dodds was also made subject of restrictions under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both for life.
A lifelong restraining order prohibits him from contacting or approaching the victim of his sexual assaults.
As he was being led from the dock to the court cells, the defendant was heard to shout: “Absolute f***ing joke, I didn’t do anything.”
(Image: The Northern Echo) Speaking after the hearing, Debbie Breen, head of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RaSSO) unit at the Crown Prosecution Service North East, said over a ten-year period, Dodds used Snapchat to incite numerous girls, aged between eight and 15, into carrying out sexual acts over live video calls.
He then used covert recordings of these calls as leverage, blackmailing his victims into further acts by threatening to distribute the videos further if they failed to comply with his requests.
When arrested, Dodds was also found to have amassed thousands of indecent images, which were recovered from multiple devices found at his home.
Ms Breen said: “Mark Dodds is a prolific sexual predator, who routinely manipulated young girls online for his own sexual gratification.
“Dodds spared little thought for the effect that his emotional and physical abuse would have on his victims, callously exploiting their fear and shame to compel them into repeated sexual acts.
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“I would like to recognise the incredible bravery of the young victims involved in this case.
“Despite the significant abuse they have endured, the evidence they provided has greatly assisted the Crown Prosecution Service in building a very robust case against Dodds.
“Each of them has played a part in bringing a prolific sexual predator to justice and we sincerely hope that their contribution to his significant sentence today can bring them a good measure of comfort.”