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The harrowing untold story of a paedophile who groomed a child using social media before chilling threats to ‘kill her family’ will be detailed in a new documentary tonight. Forensics: The Real CSI reveals how the Coventry predator used Snapchat, gummy sweets and vapes to abuse the 12-year-old girl – before threatening to ‘burn her house down.’
For the first time the crimes of dangerous Luke Cassidy can be reported as Episode 4 of the BBC Two series focuses on the work of West Midlands Police to bring him to justice. Viewers were told ‘Tracking a Paedophile’ will strike a chord with parents, carers and guardians worried about “the dangers their kids face online.”
The shocking case airs tonight (June 6) with the permission of the victim’s family – who agreed to share it to educate others, the BBC said. It follows from the moment the force receive a distressing 999 call, to the court sentence handed down to Cassidy – thanks to cutting-edge forensics and tireless police work.
Read more: Mum’s urgent warning to every parent after child’s ‘blasé disclosure’ snared paedophile trucker
Police begin the probe after a call from the victim’s father, who reports a 20-year-old man has raped his daughter on multiple occasions. As the child victim bravely provides a statement to police, she details how Cassidy groomed her on Snapchat and texts by posing as a 15-year-old himself.
In clips some may find distressing, the victim tells police Cassidy – known to her through aliases ‘MrHustlez and MD’ – gave her a vape before asking for sex in return. He raped her several times as they met up five or six times in a period between September and December.
Dramatic scenes in the episode capture as police track down the paedophile before forcing entry into his home and placing him under arrest. West Midlands Police is then tasked with collating evidence to prove the victim’s account.
As the investigation deepens, it’s revealed Cassidy has used “every trick possible”, starting off friendly and handing over gifts, to then issuing horrifying threats to “get what he wants from the victim”.
He told the victim he wanted to “marry her and make a porn video”, with the victim explaining: “I said I didn’t want to….he told me if you don’t keep this relationship, I’m going to end up burning your house down.
“He shouted down the phone ‘I’ll kill you and your family, I’ll burn them all.” After a breakthrough in the case places Cassidy near the scene of an offence, he’s brought in for questioning.
He initially admits to police that he had sex with her, but says he was told she was 16. Police investigators struggled to collect enough evidence to prove the pattern of controlling behaviour and grooming and could only charge him with statutory rape.
Only after breaking into Luke’s phone and using advance forensic technology to recover deleted messages and photos, did they have enough evidence to prove that Cassidy had been grooming the girl. After a trial at the end of 2022, Cassidy was handed a 19 year sentence as well as an additional five years on licence.
Police said as of June 2023 they had uncovered 14 more potential victims. They are now working to identify them to provide support.
Episode 4 of Forensics: The Real CSI will air on Tuesday, June 6 on BBC Two and iPlayer.
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