Paedo scam blackmailer netted £84k

Conman fooled online daters into thinking they’d chatted to children

A CONMAN set up an online trap to make innocent people look like paedophiles – then blackmailed them out of £84,000.

Nine people fell for Ian Henderson’s scam. One man handed over £45,000 and a woman paid £22,000.

Henderson, 35, set up fake dating profiles and flirted online, seducing people into making sexual remarks.

He then posed as a concerned guardian and accused them of “grooming a child”.

Henderson claimed they had been communicating with underage kids but it was him all along.

He threatened to go to the police unless they stumped up cash and the victims paid out because they were terrified of being labelled paedophiles.

At Ayr Sheriff Court last week, Henderson admitted nine charges of extortion over a three-year period.

Sheriff John Montgomery deferred sentence until a background report is prepared.

Tanya McGill was Henderson’s first victim between May and July 2012.

After being duped into flirting on the internet with him, she shelled out £22,181 “quiet” money.

Duncan Neil Brown was swindled out of £922 at Auchinleck Post Office in May 2013.

In July that year, Barry Cox fell for the hoax at the Money Shop in Kilmarnock and handed over £4443.

Brian Stevens forked out £45,864 and William Kennedy paid £250.

David Shipley handed over £2675 in Ayr in April 2015.

Steven Davis gave Henderson, of Ayr, £1141 at McColl’s and Thomson Travel agency in the town.

Dylan Lowe coughed up £462 at another Ayr address.

Henderson’s final con was in August 2015 when he cheated Ian McLean out of £6080 in Ayr.