A woman groomed multiple young girls online and later went on to assault them after posing as a teenage boy.
Gemma Watts posed as a 16 year old called “Jake Waton” on social media and got the victims to send her “intimate photos”, before meeting up in real life all across the country. The 21 year old from Enfield, ended up pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court to sexual offences involving four girls and was jailed for eight years. Despite this, police believe there may have been up to 50 victims in total.
She made social media accounts under the fake name.
It’s believed that she began grooming the victims, ages between 13 and 16, through social media by liking their photos and adding them. After exchanging explicit and inappropriate photos, she then travelled to meet a number of victims, wearing the disguise of joggers, a snapback, and other “boyish” items of clothing. She also tied her long hair back and hid it under the cap, to avoid blowing her cover.
Passing sentence, Judge Susan Evans QC said Watts had groomed young girls for her own gratification. “Their youth, as you plainly knew, made them more naive and made you more likely to get away with your deception,” she told Watts.
n November 2019, Watts pleaded guilty to one count of assault by penetration, three counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming and three counts of sexual assault.
Det Ch Insp Nicholas Plummer, from Hampshire Constabulary, said: “This is a truly shocking case. It serves as a reminder to us all about the lengths a perpetrator will go to exploit children. Parents and carers should have the confidence to speak to their children about their online activity.”
