A man who groomed at least 70 girls and manipulated them into sending sexually explicit videos and images of themselves has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Bilal Kazi, 27, targeted his victims – aged between 10 and 17 – using apps including Snapchat, Wink and Roblox between August 2021 and August 2025.
Kazi, a student from India who was studying at the University of Chester, posed as a 14-year-old white British teenage boy and made his victims believe they were in a relationship with him.
He was jailed after pleading guilty to 37 charges including making indecent images, blackmail and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Kazi must serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole and will be on the sex offenders register for life.
Once eligible for parole he will be on licence for eight years.
In a personal impact statement read out at Chester Crown Court earlier, one victim said she had struggled with anxiety as Kazi, who later moved to Birmingham, had “taken away a sense of privacy and security”.
“I am doing my best to move forward but the effects are still with me,” she said.
“The harm caused is not limited to the time events took place – they continue to affect my daily life.”
The court heard that some of the victims had attempted suicide, struggled with anxiety and developed eating disorders.
One victim, who was 13 years old when Kazi first contacted her, said he took her “innocence away”.
“I hope one day I can get on with my life,” she said.