Former children’s holiday camp manager jailed for online child sex abuse offences

A former children’s holiday camp manager who posed as a teenage girl in order to groom children online has been jailed. 

Cameron Osman, 45, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment plus a five-year extended licence at St Albans Crown Court today (1 November 2023). 

The defendant, from Southampton, pleaded guilty to all 36 charges which included inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, sexual communication with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of children (IIOC). 

Between September 2020 and July 2021, Osman posed as a teenage girl online and targeted numerous boys aged between 12 to 16 to groom them.

He supported his fake profiles with images of a teenage girl and would send victims private messages, encouraging them to talk to him via other online media platforms using a webcam and would state that his own camera was broken. Osman would then instruct victims to engage in increasingly sexual activity.

Many children the defendant talked to believed they were having a real relationship with the online persona Osman had created.

Until just days before his arrest in September 2021, the defendant was working in Sussex as a children’s holiday camp manager. His devices were seized by police and examination of them revealed chat logs, images and internet history linking Osman to the offences.

Following his arrest, whilst released on bail, Osman posed as a young adult male online and engaged in similar conversations with a further child, as well as an undercover police officer purporting to be a 14-year-old boy, resulting in his further arrest and remand into custody in March 2023.

An investigation by the National Crime Agency revealed that Osman was talking to more than 300 people worldwide, 76 of which were based in the UK.

Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor in the CPS’ Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said: “Cameron Osman created fake online personas in order to groom children.

“Posing as a teenage girl he manipulated numerous boys into believing they were in a relationship and engaged them in sexually explicit conversations. Some were tricked into performing sexual activity on camera for Osman’s gratification. His offending continued even while on bail after his initial arrest.

“Our Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit was set up last year to prosecute child sexual abuse. Through the work of this unit, the CPS is determined to help stop the devastating impact of these crimes on victims.”

Danielle Pownall, NCA Operations Manager, said: “Cameron Osman pretended to be a teenage girl to prey on boys for his own sexual gratification.

“His offending affected dozens of children, who now have to live with the consequences of his actions. I would like to commend their bravery in coming forward, which has helped put Osman behind bars.

“The NCA will continue to target those engaged in online child sexual abuse and bring them to justice.”