The female sex offender’s ‘cute’ Snapchat mask concealed her depraved secrets

A woman who committed vile sexual abuse against a child and shared images of the attacks has been jailed.

Emily Hedigan, 21, from Bramley, Leeds, filmed herself sexually assaulting a young boy after being bribed by her drug dealer to send him pictures to pay off her debt. She pleaded guilty to eight offenses when she appeared at Leeds Crown Court on February 29. Hedigan’s depraved attacks left the young boy, who was not yet thirteen years old, traumatized. Her crimes only came to light when videos and photos of the abuse were found on her phone.

However, on her social media accounts, Hedigan seemed like any other normal 21-year-old. In photos, she can be seen posing with a cocktail in her hand, with her friends, or sharing an outfit photo before a night out. Many of the images show her using a Snapchat filter that decorates her face with the word “cute.”

In her most recent Instagram post, shared on December 20, 2023, Emily posed for a selfie to show off her latest round lip filler, with the caption: “We loveee a lip top-up.” Other posts show her next to her two sisters with the caption: “Very rarely do we all get along.”

Hedigan pleaded guilty to eight offenses when she appeared at Leeds Crown Court on February 29. Police discovered that she had repeatedly incited the young boy to engage in sexual activity, which she filmed. Further investigation by digital media investigators revealed that Hedigan had sent the images to a man elsewhere in the country in exchange for money. She admitted the offenses when interviewed but claimed she had done it under duress.

On Thursday she was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to a total of four years and eight months in prison. She will remain on the sex offenders register for life and was also given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Commenting on her conviction, Detective Inspector Amy Spaven of West Yorkshire Police, from the Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Hedigan was responsible for a persistent pattern of sexual abuse against this vulnerable young boy and shared images of that abuse for financial gain. have had a significant traumatic impact on the victim, which will likely affect him for the rest of his life.

“We hope it will provide some reassurance that she is held accountable and sent to prison. We always treat sexual crimes of this nature very seriously and have specialist security officers who will support the victims and their families during their investigations and the legal proceedings and do everything they can. to get justice for them.”