Breck Bednar murder: Killer posted blogs from jail

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Breck BednarImage source, Essex Police
Image caption,
Breck Bednar met his killer online before travelling to Essex to meet up with him

The mother of a murdered schoolboy has told an inquiry how she feared his killer had escaped from jail when he posted menacing blogs from behind bars.

Breck Bednar, 14, from Caterham in Surrey, was murdered by Lewis Daynes, 19, at a flat in Grays, Essex, in 2014.

Daynes met his victim through a gaming website.

He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years in 2015 - but managed to taunt his victim's mother via two blogs he published online.

Breck's mother Lorin LaFave appeared before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse to give evidence as part of its inquiry into the internet.

Image source, Essex Police
Image caption,
Daynes was sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years in 2015

Ms LaFave told the hearing that the second online post left her so shaken that she rang 999.

Efforts to get them removed were then rebuffed by Google, the hearing was told, who said she should contact her son's killer directly.

He had apparently been able to publish the pieces by using software that disguised his location, Ms LaFave said.

Daynes first posted a "hurtful piece" about Ms LaFave on Twitter in November 2015, counsel to the inquiry Jacqueline Carey said.

The killer's last post was written near the time a docu-drama about the case was due for release.

Image source, Essex Police
Image caption,
Breck Bednar was murdered in Grays, Essex, in 2014

The grieving mother contacted police, who told her there was "nothing we can do" because it was posted with a US company, the hearing was told.

Similar difficulties were encountered when attempts were made to have the second post taken down.

The inquiry is holding five days of evidence hearings that will examine how the internet allows sex offenders to target children and young people.

After Breck's murder, his family - who now live in Kent - formed The Breck Foundation, which warns youngsters of online dangers.

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