“Despicable” woman fraudulently collected thousands of pounds from Norwich donors

Katie Ringer, 18, also published horrific defaced photographs of children with offensive racist and sexual comments posted with them.

The teenager, originally from Shoebury, Southend, had to move with her family to Norwich after her victims started suspecting she was behind the tirade of abuse and started to turn up at her house for retribution.

Two years after she began offending, she pleaded guilty to 23 charges at Basildon Crown Court.

She admitted eight charges of harassment, 14 of fraudulently collecting cash and one of threatening to blow up one of her victim's homes.

Sgt Tracey Butt, from Shoebury police station, said: 'Her behaviour is despicable.

'This has had a big impact on the whole community. We are pleased she had pleaded guilty and hopefully the sentence will reflect what she's done.'

Ringer managed to rack up more than £2,000 from donors from around the world who fell for her numerous sob stories including that she had given birth to a premature baby and needed money for special equipment, she needed money for her dead daughter's funeral, and needed money for her dead son's keepsakes.

She also said a car had crashed into her house and that she needed financial help as she was pregnant with twins, as well as lying that she was homeless, and that she had children with special dietary requirements which she couldn't afford to support. The truth was that she was an 18-year-old living at home with her parents, did not have any children, and had used numerous pseudonyms on social media to carry out her cons.

Meanwhile she used her fake profiles on Facebook to befriend as many people as she could in the Southend area, to save photographs of their toddlers and babies and deface them with sickening messages.

Ringer was released on unconditional bail until she is sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on January 7.

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