British man jailed for encouraging American to commit suicide during video call

Dylan Phelan, 21, from Morley, West Yorkshire, was sentenced to six years and four months at Leeds Crown Court after admitting to intentionally encouraging Travis Dyer, a 21-year-old from Louisiana, to die by suicide. Dyer died on October 20, 2024, during a live video call on Discord with Phelan and two other men, identified only as 'Mads' and 'Rob,' after months of sustained targeting by the group. Sentencing judge Mr Justice Cotter described the conduct as a 'campaign of cruelty' driven by Phelan's 'morbid curiosity' and desire for control, noting that Dyer had been goaded into spending his money on drugs and alcohol and had carved the names of group members into his own skin. Phelan, who can be heard on a recording laughing as Dyer died, also pleaded guilty to making an indecent image of a child and possessing extreme pornography, and was additionally made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Phelan eventually confessed after a woman he had told about the incident informed his parents, who brought him to Elland Road police station. The judge urged anyone with information about the other participants — one of whom he described as 'a very real danger to vulnerable people online' — to contact US authorities. Discord stated it takes 'decisive action' against policy violations, while prosecutors emphasized that internet anonymity does not shield offenders from prosecution.