A man who manipulated, coerced and blackmailed multiple children and a young woman from across the UK into sending him explicit images of themselves was handed sentences amounting to more than five years on Friday.
In addition to ordering Max Hollingsbee to serve half his 62 months in custody and half under supervised licence conditions, Judge Donna McColgan KC told the 21-year-old he would remain on the police sex offenders register “for the rest of your life” as well as being subject to a ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
As the judge announced the sentence at the end of her hour-long remarks at Craigavon Crown Court, Co Armagh, Hollingsbee, standing in the dock wearing a red t-shirt and flanked by prison officers, showed little to no reaction as he was handcuffed and lead to the cells.
She told Hollingsbee his offending was aggravated because of the number of victims, the length of time the offending went on for, the fact that he continued to offend even after his initial arrest and being on police bail and the fact that in an almost “domino” effect, he used one victim’s details to identify and then exploit further victims.
Hollingsbee, with an address at Orient Circle in Lurgan, entered guilty pleas in September 2024 to charges relating to offences committed against a total of 14 identified victims between June 10th 2021 and April 7th 2023.
On a catalogue of charges spread across two bills of indictment, Hollingsbee entered guilty pleas to 18 charges of having indecent images of children including category A, B and C images of each victim, four charges of inciting or causing children to engage in sexual activity with children aged 13 to 16, four counts of unauthorised computer access and single offences of blackmail, sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to distribute an indecent image.
Detective Inspector Chris Fleming from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Public Protection Branch said in a statement that the PSNI welcomed the sentence.
“Hollingsbee is a child predator who was financially benefitting from his exploits and inflicted trauma,” he said.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“I am glad his depraved offending has been uncovered and that it has today been taken seriously by our criminal justice system.
“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.”
