Wrexham man jailed 14 years for assisting suicides online

A 33-year-old man from Wrexham has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after admitting to intentionally encouraging and assisting the suicide of vulnerable people he targeted through an online forum.

Miles Cross appeared for sentencing at Mold Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, 7 January, having previously pleaded guilty to four counts of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961.

Two deaths in the UK have been linked to Cross, who was selling a substance to vulnerable people on an online forum where he actively engaged with individuals at their most desperate moments.

The investigation began in October 2024 when Thames Valley Police notified North Wales Police of the suspected suicide of a man in their force area who had been reported missing weeks earlier. Financial enquiries revealed Cross had received £100 in exchange for a substance suspected to be linked to the man’s death.

Further investigations by North Wales Police discovered Cross had sold packages to a total of four victims. One of the victims, a woman with whom he had been in close communication online, sadly took her own life. It was later confirmed the man who died in the Thames Valley area had also used one of the packages Cross had sent to another victim. Thankfully, two of the four packages sold were never used.

The online forum used by Cross became the target of Ofcom’s first investigation under the Online Safety Act, which began in April 2025. Through collaboration with the National Crime Agency and Ofcom, officers shared information from the investigation which contributed to Ofcom’s ongoing investigation into the forum. The US-based site subsequently implemented a geo-block to restrict access by people with UK IP addresses in response to Ofcom enforcement proceedings.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Chris Bell said: “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of Cross’ offending, as he preyed on his victims online and exploited them in their most desperate moments, profiting off their vulnerability and mental wellbeing.

“Instead of assisting them to seek support, he proactively encouraged them to end their lives and provided them with a means to do so, which tragically and needlessly resulted in two deaths.

“I want to acknowledge the courage of each of the survivors who played an integral part in this complex investigation during such difficult circumstances, and the devastating impact it has had on the lives of the family and friends of the two people who tragically lost their lives.

“Working closely with the survivors enabled my investigation team to secure a successful prosecution against Cross, which we believe to be the first of its kind in the UK, involving the online forum he was using.

“Safeguarding vulnerable people is a priority for North Wales Police, and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to provide support, prevent harm wherever possible and relentlessly pursue anybody who seeks to assist or encourage anyone to take their own life.

“I want to thank my team who built a comprehensive and compelling case that resulted in Cross admitting all four offences, and a number of key partners to which we are grateful, including the Crown Prosecution Service, The National Crime Agency, colleagues from other forces and Public Health Wales.

“If you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is out there. Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to face it alone.”