Sentenced: 21-year-old man from Lurgan, Max Hollingsbee
A 21-year-old man from Lurgan, Max Hollingsbee, has been sentenced to five years and two months—half to be served in custody and the remainder on licence—following his conviction for 42 offences relating to online child sexual abuse and blackmail.
The sentence was handed down at Craigavon Crown Court, marking the conclusion of a complex and disturbing investigation into Hollingsbee’s prolonged abuse of underage girls via social media platforms.
Hollingsbee will also be subject to a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
The investigation began in October 2022 when Surrey Police alerted the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) about a 15-year-old girl who had been groomed online by Hollingsbee, then aged 18.
Posing as a 16-year-old boy, he used fake identities to initiate contact with victims, primarily via platforms including Whiz, Snapchat and Instagram.
Detectives from PSNI’s Public Protection Branch quickly identified and arrested Hollingsbee. A search of his digital devices revealed a cache of thousands of indecent images and videos of underage girls, many obtained through manipulation, blackmail, or unauthorised access to victims’ social media accounts.
Investigators uncovered that Hollingsbee used a consistent pattern of abuse. He approached girls aged between 14 and 16, using both male and female aliases.
After building trust with his victims, he encouraged them to share explicit content. In some cases, he obtained their account credentials and downloaded private images, later using these materials to blackmail them into sending more.
Some victims were unaware they had been compromised until contacted by authorities. To date, 14 victims have been identified, but police believe the number could be significantly higher.
Disturbingly, evidence was also found of Hollingsbee advertising the indecent material online and engaging in negotiations with other child predators outside of Northern Ireland. After receiving payments, he further extorted these individuals, threatening to report them to police unless they paid more.
Detective Inspector Chris Fleming of the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch said:
“We welcome today’s sentencing. Hollingsbee is a child predator who was financially benefitting from his exploits and inflicted trauma.
We have worked long hours, alongside the Public Prosecution Service, on this case to bring him to justice today and are still working behind the scenes to identify more of his victims.”
He added a stark warning to parents:
“People have an image of a paedophile in their minds, a ‘creepy’ old man hanging around play parks. The digital world has warped this and parents need to be aware that perpetrators are getting younger and more tech savvy. Not everyone your child speaks to online is who they say they are and they may have a sinister intent.”
DI Fleming also acknowledged the bravery of those who came forward:
“Hollingsbee has caused serious and long-lasting harm on what we estimate to be around nine victims and their families. I want to thank those who have come forward so far for being so incredibly brave and assisting our investigations.”
“We are working harder than ever to protect children who are being exploited in any way for the sexual gain of adults. If you are downloading, viewing, making, possessing or distributing indecent images of children, we will unveil you, pinpoint your location and put you in prison where you belong.”
The PSNI is urging parents and guardians to regularly monitor their children’s online activity and to remain vigilant. Detailed guidance is available on their official website: Keeping Children Safe Online.
The wider community is encouraged to report any suspicious activity involving children—online or in person—by contacting police via 101, or 999 in emergencies.
