'Dangerous' sex offender sentenced to 27 years

A "prolific and chilling" enactment abuser has been sentenced to 27 years.

David John Andrews, 55, with an code astatine Maghaberry Prison, pleaded blameworthy to 130 charges of intersexual abuse.

He appeared astatine Downpatrick Crown Court charged with inciting children to prosecute successful intersexual activity, blackmail, intersexual connection with a kid and threats to kill.

The charges subordinate to 47 victims, 46 of whom were children astatine the clip of the offences.

One of his victims has spoken to the BBC astir her experiences with Andrews.

Claire, not her existent name, was 13 erstwhile Andrews catfished her connected Instagram and groomed her, she believed helium excessively was 13.

"At archetypal it was a affable speech and past it got much threatening to nonstop photos, and successful the extremity I did nonstop them," Claire said.

"He would endanger my friends and became precise aggressive. Things got worse arsenic soon arsenic I sent them, helium was asking for them adjacent capable each day, and I was sending them," she said.

When Claire stopped sending pictures to Andrews helium threatened her, promising helium would stock the images with her friends and school.

"He went done my database of followers from my schoolhouse and friends, and helium sent them to those people. The photos were past sent each astir school," she said.

"It destroyed me, I near schoolhouse for respective months and I ne'er went backmost fully. I was suicidal, self-harming each day. It closed successful connected maine a lot, it destroyed a batch of my household bonds, I mislaid astir each my friends. I blamed myself."

Claire’s mum has besides spoken to the BBC astir the crimes against her daughter.

"It makes you consciousness similar you’ve failed arsenic a parent. She was successful her chamber frightened and sending these pictures due to the fact that helium was threatening her and I knew nothing, if I’d cognize I could person stepped in," she said.

"After it each came retired we had to acceptable alarms successful the nighttime to marque definite she hadn’t done thing to herself. She conscionable blamed and blamed herself."

Claire says that the repercussions from Andrews' actions stayed with her for years.

"No 1 could assistance me, I was excessively acold successful my ain head, I didn’t privation the help, I thought I deserved what had happened to me," Claire said.

She's waited implicit 4 years for Andrews to beryllium sentenced: "It’s been a agelong and tortuous process getting the lawsuit to court. I consciousness similar I’ve been locked away. I can’t spell retired similar a mean kid and person fun. I’m perpetually waiting for the adjacent telephone telephone to accidental what’s happening," she said.

"I anticipation I tin yet adjacent a lid connected this portion of my life. I’m inactive not mentally stable, I don’t deliberation I ever volition be. I was ashamed but successful the extremity it’s not your fault, you’re a victim. It took ages for maine to deliberation it wasn’t my fault."

Claire’s mum has a elemental connection for different parents.

"As a genitor this has been devastating. She’ll physique a beingness but this volition ever beryllium determination successful the background.

"To different parents I tin lone say, cheque their devices, and if your kid comes guardant to archer you thing judge each connection they say, immoderate radical wouldn’t person believed this story, but each connection turned retired to beryllium true."