Instagram, blackmail, nude photos
Denham Jones, 23, contacted his 14-yearold victim through Instagram and asked if she would like to make some cash.
The Napier man was offering $800 if she sent him 10 photos of herself.
She agreed, and on the evening August 26, she sent him three photos.
They kept conversing; then Jones, using the profile ‘bohemianjunkie’, told her he would pay $8000 if she performed a sex act on him. She agreed and they met in a church carpark.
She ran to his car, performed the act, then ran home.
Denham later text-messaged her asking for her bank account details.
A fortnight later she had not received any payment, so she asked when he would pay.
He said he’d pay when she sent naked photos of herself in various poses, which she sent.
Days passed and still no payment arrived so she asked him again. At that point he said he would pay her the money and delete the photos from his device if she met with him and a friend.
At this point the girl became suspicious and stopped communicating with Jones.
Between August 26 and September 24 Jones continued to communicate with the girl via Instagram, making several threats to share the photos online if she didn’t meet his demands.
He would message ‘‘show tits’’. When she refused he would message ‘‘You want money then keep me happy’’.
‘‘You block me your pictures go viral’’, he sent.
Denham continued threatening the girl until she alerted her mother, who reported the matter to police.
On September 24 police used the girl’s cellphone and Instagram account to communicate with Denham.
He arrived at a location as arranged and was arrested and charged.
Denham appeared in Napier District Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to two charges of grooming, possession of objectionable material, blackmail and performing an indecent act on a 14-year-old girl.
The charge of blackmail carries a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment. Possessing objectionable material carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and the other two charges carry maximum sentences of seven years
Jones received his first strike warning and was remanded in custody for sentencing in January. of