Barthimaus Ehiemere, a 30-year-old man from Hackney, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for a series of sexual offences against boys under the age of 13. The sentencing took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court, where Ehiemere was found guilty of multiple charges, including the rape of two young boys and other sexual assaults. Ehiemere, who admitted to 32 offences in July, was also convicted of an additional 15 offences in August. These included paying for the sexual services of minors and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that had been issued in 2021 due to previous indecent image offences. Judge Timothy Greene described Ehiemere as a "serious danger to young boys" and highlighted the predatory nature of his actions, which spanned several years. The court heard that Ehiemere groomed his victims through Snapchat, using accounts that offered money in exchange for nude images. Screenshots released by the Metropolitan Police revealed alarming messages from Ehiemere's accounts, including one that read, "Ages 12-16, Gay, Let's be friends, Paying for nudes." Another account featured the text, "I pay for personal nudes" alongside images of bank notes. Prosecutor James Brown KC detailed the horrific nature of Ehiemere's crimes, including an incident where he lured one boy to a woodland in Surrey, where he raped him. The court was informed that one victim, who had been seeking friends on social media, experienced severe trauma from the abuse, leading to nightmares and feelings of shame. Ehiemere's actions were described as driven by a "deep-seated interest and commercial interest in the sexual abuse of young teenage boys." The court also revealed that Ehiemere possessed 1,600 indecent images on his phone, with half classified as Category A, depicting the most severe forms of abuse. In a related case, Ehiemere's younger brother, Richard, was convicted earlier this year for possessing indecent images and fraud, which involved selling personal data to an online neo-Nazi group that groomed children. Ehiemere will serve 18 years in custody, followed by four years on extended licence, as the court seeks to protect vulnerable children from further harm.