Chilling threats of ‘catfish’ fraud who was exposed

‘SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICT’ SAID SHE WOULD SEND OUT NAKED PHOTOS OF HER VICTIMS

A ‘SOCIAL media addict’ posed as fake people online to ‘catfish’ them and issued terrifying death threats after being found out, a court heard.

When Kirsten Wall’s lies were exposed, she became ‘vindictive,’ threatening to distribute naked images of people and sent police to homes of her victims.

Wall, 20, of Leigh Road, Worsley, Salford, was sentenced to four years and two months in a Young Offenders Institution.

Using social media she lured victims into relationships with fake profiles, known as catfishing.

She sent naked images of unknown people to the unsuspecting victim to lure them in.

After being found out, Wall threatened to share the images her victim had sent in return, said they would be murdered by terrorists and called the emergency services.

A Liverpool Crown Court sentencing hearing heard that Wall established a bogus Tinder account under the name Callum and struck up a conversation with a female, known as Woman A, a student in Liverpool.

Wall sent naked images of an unknown man. After the conversation developed, the pair decided to meet but Wall then cancelled the arrangement. She then revealed herself as Callum’s friend and befriended the woman as herself.

Wall began the same process with a man, named in court as Man A, while using another fake Tinder account as a woman named Alisha. ‘Alisha’ then suggested Man A meet Woman A, and they met in real life. But they quickly realised that Wall had catfished them both.

The court heard that Wall ‘flew into a rage’ after being challenged, and said she would share their naked images with friends and family. Wall threatened to kill herself but was arrested by police.

Prosecutor Simon Duncan said: “She described herself as asexual, but said she derived sexual excitement from the arrangements.”

Wall harassed two other women and admitted perverting the course of justice, stalking and eight malicious communications counts.

Defending, Charlotte Kenny, said Wall was not ‘inherently bad or inherently evil, but somebody who is very damaged.’ Wall found ‘sanctuary’ in false online personas after being bullied at school and having no self-esteem.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson QC said: “It isn’t social media that is your own worst enemy - you are your own worst enemy.”