Dad posed as a woman to blackmail terrified victim
HE GOT MARRIED MAN TO HAND OVER THOUSANDS
A DERBY dad posed as a woman to trick his victim into sending an intimate picture that was used for a blackmail plan.
Once gambling addict Dean O’Sullivan had an image of the victim’s private parts, he threatened to tell the victim’s wife, his family and his friends unless he paid him thousands of pounds.
The blackmailer posed as a woman named “Lucy” in an internet chat room where the victim sent the image, not realising that Lucy was actually the 31-year-old father-oftwo from Alvaston.
O’Sullivan began demanding money, even sending a screenshot of the victim’s wife’s Facebook page to prove his threat was real.
The terrified victim paid out thousands of pounds, at one stage taking out a bank loan to pay off O’Sullivan.
But he eventually told his wife what was happening and Derbyshire police were called to investigate the blackmail.
Sentencing O’Sullivan, who has recently been volunteering to deliver NHS prescriptions, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “Your own barrister describes this as deeply, deeply unpleasant but that does not do it justice.
“You made his life a misery for four months. You left him frightened of something you might do.
“You had no hesitation to ask him for money time and time and time again with the thought hanging over him that photo you had of him would be disclosed to his wife and children.
“You even threatened to send it to seven of his friends (on Facebook).
“This is not the financial harm, although that is significant, it is the effect it has had on his relationship.”
Siward James-Moore, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court, said the victim began communicating with “Lucy” over an internet chat room in the summer of 2019. But the woman was really O’Sullivan who, the court heard, had created the female alterego to try to attract someone to “spice up” his love life with his partner. Mr James-Moore said that, on June 28, the victim sent Lucy a photograph of his private parts, which very quickly the defendant used for the blackmail plot. He said: “The victim received a Facebook message from someone called Lucy who he assumed to be the same person. It read ‘I am going to ruin your life, I am going to tell your wife what you have done’.”
Mr James-Moore said O’Sullivan – as Lucy – then demanded money by threatening to send the photograph to the victim’s wife.
He said over the next four months, the victim transferred almost £3,000 to a bank account under the name of “Kay”, as directed by O’Sullivan.
Mr James-Moore said matters got to the stage where he agreed to transfer £150 a month on the seventh day of each month.
But shortly after doing so O’Sullivan, as Lucy, sent a message which read: “I am going to Butlins this weekend, can I have two months in advance?”
The prosecutor said the victim, whose identity is protected by law, eventually told his wife what was happening, but O’Sullivan carried on contacting them, not knowing the police were now involved.
He was arrested in October of last year, answered “no comment” to the questions he was asked, but later pleaded guilty to one count of blackmail.
Mr James-Moore read out part of the man’s victim personal statement. In it he said: “The stress this has caused me is beyond words. I was diagnosed with depression and had to take time off work after becoming sick.
“It was a massive relief knowing someone had been arrested.”
Nicola Hunter, for O’ Sullivan, said her client has been with his partner for 15 years and that they have two children together, aged five and two.
She said he began gambling at a young age and had “a big win” which allowed him to put down a deposit on a home.
Miss Hunter said: “He entered the chat room and became intrigued with the complainant who voluntarily sent an intimate photograph.”
Judge Smith asked: “Why was his profile female?”
Miss Hunter replied: “They wanted to attract other people into their relationship and he believed it was easier to do so as a female rather than a male. After he sent the photograph, the complainant said ‘please don’t tell my wife about this’ and the opportunity spiralled.
“He just did not see the severity and the clear impact it would have on the victim.”
Judge Smith handed O’Sullivan a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
He also handed him a curfew confining him to his home address between 7pm and 6am each night for the next six months. He must undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and was handed a five-year restraining order not to contact the victim or the victim’s family.
The stress this has caused me is beyond words. It was a massive relief knowing someone had been arrested Victim