In 2024, the Offender Database recorded that Joshua Bromage, then 30, of Holybourne Road, Havant, Hampshire, was jailed for 14 years for blackmailing and raping two young women. On Thursday, 18 July 2024, Bromage appeared at Winchester Crown Court for sentencing. The court reported that the defendant utilised Instagram to “cynically manipulate” his victims, one of whom was only 17 years old at the time the offences began.
The investigation established that in April 2021, a 17-year-old girl in Southampton, Hampshire, reported being blackmailed by an anonymous account into sending indecent images and performing sexual acts. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary reported that the account was later identified as belonging to Bromage. The prosecution reported that during his arrest, an examination of his mobile phone uncovered category C indecent images of children alongside explicit material of his victim.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Bromage was a “manipulative and calculated” offender who continued his predatory behaviour even while under police investigation. Winchester Crown Court heard that in November 2023, a second victim, aged 22, from Southampton, Hampshire, came forward with nearly identical allegations. The prosecution reported that Bromage had tricked this second woman by claiming he was also being blackmailed, suggesting that the only way to satisfy the anonymous harasser was to film themselves engaging in sexual acts.
Judge Peter Henry noted that Bromage had preyed on his victims with total disregard for their well-being. For his actions in Southampton and Havant, Hampshire, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of rape. The judge noted that the 14-year sentence reflected the immeasurable impact on the two young women and the sophisticated level of digital coercion used to facilitate the rapes.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Joshua Bromage was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 14 years in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are in effect for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Winchester Crown Court following a “thorough and complex” investigation.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of four counts of rape and possession of indecent images of children.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Bromage is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and the prison estate. Due to the “calculating and controlling” nature of the offences in Southampton and Havant, Hampshire, his management is subject to the highest level of oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Bromage must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence in Holybourne Road, Havant, for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his history of using social media platforms like Instagram to groom and blackmail victims necessitates permanent and stringent digital monitoring. Any breach of his registration conditions or his licence terms upon release will result in immediate arrest and a return to Winchester Crown Court.
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