Arun Wilding

A man who blackmailed schoolgirls into sending sexual images — threatening to expose them online if they refused — has been jailed for 17 years and nine months.

Arun Wilding, 22, from Oldbury, targeted girls under 16 through social media before using threats, harassment and personal information to pressure them into meeting his demands.

He admitted 16 offences and was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 1 September 2026.

His offending lasted approximately a year, between December 2024 and December 2025.

Wilding initially approached the girls by liking and commenting on their posts. He then began private conversations and encouraged them to move to another social media platform, where he requested intimate images.

When the children refused further demands or tried to cut contact, he threatened to distribute images they had already sent.

Wilding also collected information about where the girls lived and which schools they attended. He used those details to frighten them into believing he could identify or locate them.

The children were left facing the threat that their private images would be exposed if they did not comply. Wilding exploited that fear to demand further material rather than allowing them to end contact.

West Midlands Police described his behaviour as predatory.

The 16 offences included blackmail, sexual communication with a child, threatening to share an intimate photograph and causing a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Wilding pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, meaning his victims did not have to give evidence at a contested trial.

Alongside his prison sentence, he was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his behaviour to help protect children from further offending.

Source: UK Database on Facebook