Man jailed in UK for encouraging US suicide via Discord chat platform

• British man Dylan Phelan was jailed for six years and four months for encouraging vulnerable US man, Travis Dyer's suicide online via Discord.
• Phelan persistently encouraged Dyer to shoot himself during a live video call, exploiting his mental health struggles as part of "darker online communities."
• Prosecutors warned online anonymity won't protect offenders, as Britain increases efforts to tackle online harms and urges tech companies to prevent harmful content.

LONDON - A British man was jailed on June 12 for encouraging the suicide of a vulnerable 21-year-old man in the United States during an online video call in which the victim was urged to shoot himself, prosecutors said.

Dylan Phelan, 21, admitted encouraging Travis Dyer to take his own life in October 2024 after months of contact on the Discord platform, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said.

Dyer, from Louisiana, died during a live video call with Phelan and two others based in the US in which he was urged to harm himself, including by taking his own life with a shotgun.

“This was a deeply disturbing case involving the sustained exploitation of a vulnerable young man,” prosecutor Alex Johnson said.

“Dylan Phelan did not simply witness these events – he deliberately and persistently encouraged Travis Dyer to take his own life, intending that he would do so. His actions were calculated, cruel, and had devastating consequences.”

Prosecutors said the encouragement was part of sustained behaviour by members of an online group who had targeted Dyer despite knowing he was struggling with his mental health. Phelan later told police he had been drawn into darker online communities and accepted his role in the death.

Phelan, who also pleaded guilty to offences relating to indecent images of a child and possessing extreme pornography, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to six years and four months in prison.

Johnson said those who encouraged self-harm online would be held to account and that internet anonymity did not shield offenders from prosecution.

The case comes as Britain is stepping up efforts to tackle online harms, particularly those affecting children and young people, including pressure on technology companies to do more to prevent the spread of harmful content and abusive behaviour on their platforms.

Discord did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REUTERS