Pimp gangfilms men in sex acts to blackmail them

TRAVELLER gangsters are running brothels around the country and then photographing the men paying for sex so they can extort money from them, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.

In one instance, a man handed over €10,000 to the gang, but his wife was still sent compromising pictures.

The gangsters have access to the bookings and take pictures of the men as they enter apartments. In some cases, a camera even records them in the act. The men are then approached with the evidence and money is demanded.

A source told the MoS that small business owners are ‘especially’ prone to being targeted.

‘It is not a new thing that this gang is involved in running the brothels, but what they are big into now is blackmail. They run the brothels and photograph the men. Then they go to the men using them and demanding money,’ the source said.

The MoS understands it has been happening in midland areas, particularly Tullamore, Athlone, Mullingar, Navan, and Cavan.

The women involved are traditionally Eastern European, but in more recent times Brazilian women are also being exploited.

The source said: ‘The gang is running the show. They know the bookings and wait outside with a camera. In some instances, a camera is also set up to film inside the room. They have these men over a barrel.

‘In one case a man paid over €10,000 and his wife was later sent the pictures anyway.’

Gardaí are aware that it is happening, but in the majority of cases it is not being reported.

Since March, it has been illegal to pay for sex in Ireland, under the Sexual Offences Act 2017. A source told the MoS that the ‘most likely’ reason the blackmailed men don’t report the extortion is the new laws that have criminalised the buyers of sex.

A recent report from Ruhama, a service for women affected by prostitution, says that most prostitutes here are run by organised crime gangs.

Ruhama gave support to 304 women from 37 nationalities last year. Of the 222 women who needed intensive support, most had been sexually exploited, be it in brothels, hotel rooms or apartments, the report said.

‘The bulk of prostitution in Ireland is run by organised crime gangs who profit from the sexual exploitation of women and girls, particularly in off-street locations,’ Sarah Benson, CEO of Ruhama, said.

‘These unscrupulous individuals make money from human misery, moving often vulnerable migrant women in a coordinated fashion from brothel to brothel across Ireland, with a view to satisfying local sex buyers’ demands.’

One paid €10k and still his wife was sent photos