A prolific sexual predator from East London has been jailed for 47 child sex offences, including raping two 12-year-old boys. Barthimaus Ehiemere, 21, groomed his victims on Snapchat and Spotafriend and targeted underage boys for sex and indecent images. Screenshots released by the Metropolitan Police show bank notes alongside the text, "Ages 12-16", "Gay", "Let's be friends" and "Paying for nudes". Ehiemere, of Chart Street, Hackney, was sentenced to 22 years - 18 in custody and four on extended license - at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday.

Ehiemere was convicted of 47 child sex offences relating to seven victims aged between 12 and 16 at the time. His crimes, which took place between 2019 and 2023, were uncovered by a police investigation into online grooming. He was previously convicted of three counts of rape of a child under 13, one of inciting a child into sexual activity, and one of sexual assault, all relating to an incident in July 2019. In relation to another boy, he was convicted of four counts of rape of a child under 13 and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, taking place over multiple incidents.

Sentencing him, Judge Timothy Greene said: "You are a serious danger to young boys with whom you come into contact. You committed three serious rapes against two 12-year-old boys. [In relation to the second victim] you completely ignored the fact you were subject to a sexual harm prevention order. You show very little insight into why this is so serious. This was a campaign over several years of predator sexual offending of boys between 12 and 16. I doubt you cared about any of their ages. You cared about your sexual gratification and if you could make financial gains out of sexually exploiting them."

The court was told there was damning evidence of Ehiemere communicating with another paedophile and describing raping a 12-year-old as the "best sex ever." Ehiemere lured one of the boys to a woodland in Surrey, where he asked him to perform oral sex before raping him over the branch of a tree. The prosecutor told how one of the boys abused by Ehiemere felt insecure about his body at the time and was looking for friends through social media. After being groomed and sexually abused by Ehiemere, the boy said he sensed something was wrong and "immediately wanted to scrub himself clean." He says he now suffers from nightmares from the abuse.

Another victim told the court how the sexual abuse affected his education and social life, and now feels "anger" and "shame" as well as body dysmorphia. A total of 1,600 indecent images were found on Ehiemere's phone, half of which were in the worst category - Category A - depicting penetrative abuse. Ehiemere admitted 32 offences during his trial in July, including the rape of a child under 13 and breaching the terms of his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) issued in 2021 for indecent images offences. He was found guilty of a further 15 offences in August, including additional sexual assaults and paying for the sexual services of minors.

Ehiemere was 19 years old when he contacted boys using the now-discontinued 'Spotafriend' social media app. He would share pornography and indecent images with underage boys and ask them to replicate sex acts. One of Ehiemere's victims told the court he told him that he was a trombonist with a camel business in Dubai. He was then offered £20 for sex as it was "his first time". Ehiemere was convicted of sexually assaulting the boy after luring him to a woodland in Surrey. Giving evidence, the boy said it "looked like he had a ring of people he was doing these things with and having sex with."

Barry Kogan, defending, said on Thursday that Ehiemere had expressed his remorse in a letter to the judge. Mr Kogan said: "He's still a young man, and there's still a chance he can do something useful with his life." However, Ehiemere claimed the boys had not been honest about their actual age, this was proven to be untrue in court, with prosecutors stating it was obvious the boys were young. Ehiemere's defence said he had difficulties growing up in a strict Christian household, with a mum who allegedly believed homosexuality was "deplorable".

Ehiemere claimed he too was groomed online by an older man online who drew him into sharing indecent images at the age of 14. He also claims to have had an unsuccessful secret relationship with a boy his age that left him feeling unable to speak about his sexuality. Authorities found that Ehiemere had been using Snapchat and Spotafriend to groom boys for sex since 2020. Ehiemere had refused to give detectives the password for one of the seized phones during the investigation, but forensic analysts were able to bypass it. They found that Ehiemere had at least seven victims.

Police fear there are more victims and they are encouraged to contact the police by either reporting online or by calling 101, quoting Op Teigar, where officers will arrange contact. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk.