Indian-origin man posed as teen boy, groomed 70 girls in UK; gets 30 years in jail
Bilal Kazi, an Indian-origin student in the UK, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for grooming 70 underage girls online. He used fake identities and blackmail to coerce victims into sharing explicit content.
Why it matters
This case highlights the severe risks of online grooming and the potential for digital platforms to be weaponized against minors.
An Indian-origin student in the UK has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for grooming at least 70 underage girls, manipulating them into sending sexually explicit pictures and videos, and blackmailing them into complying with his demands.Bilal Kazi, 27, who was studying at the University of Chester, was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to 37 charges, including making indecent images of children, blackmail and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.Described by British authorities as a "serial online groomer", Kazi targeted girls aged between 10 and 17 using social media and gaming platforms, including Snapchat, Roblox and Wink, between August 2021 and August 2025.He posed as a 14-year-old white British boy named "Reece", using photographs of an unidentified teenager to gain the trust of his victims and make them believe they were in a genuine romantic relationship with him.Once he had established contact, Kazi would gradually demand…
Also covering this story
3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in