Mr K and the blackmailer
COMPLAINANT HAD ALREADY HANDED OVER £25,000
A BLACKMAILER who threatened to publish compromising photographs of a man unless he gave him money has walked free from court.
Shayne Robson had already got £25,000 out of the victim in five months but wanted more and threatened to expose intimate pictures to his friends and family.
A court heard the victim – referred to only as Mr K – had met the victim, who he thought was gay, on dating website Badoo.
He developed an attraction to 22-year-old Robson, who is transgender and was in a relationship with a woman, and shared photographs with him.
Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court: “From relatively early in their online relationship the defendant asked for money from the complainant because he was having cash problems, had unpaid bills and made various requests for money. “Mr K complied with it. “Also they both exchanged images. Those images being naked, or in the case of the complainant, compromising images sent by the complainant to the defendant.
“Over a period of time the defendant received a total of just over £25,000.”
Within five months Mr K had handed over his £12,000 life savings, taken out a £5,000 bank loan, which he handed over, and borrowed money to give to Robson.
The court heard Robson had promised to pay back the cash to Mr K, plus £50,000 interest.
But Mr Wardlaw added: “It became apparent to the complainant he was quite simply never going to see his money again.
“This caused him to cut off all contact with the defendant.
“It was at this point the defendant committed the blackmail.”
The court heard Robson initially “reminded” Mr K about the intimate photographs.
Mr Wardlaw added: “In the end he threatened to disclose the photographs to the complainant’s family, friends, effectively anyone on his social media network.”
The court heard Mr K told his family what happened and then reported his ordeal to the police.
In a victim statement, Mr K said: “He was clearly using me for money.”
Robson, of no fixed address but who was living in Gateshead, pleaded guilty to blackmail.
He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and £500 costs.
Judge Stephen Earl told Robson: “There was never realistically going to be a relationship out of this, from your point of view.
“You caused someone enormous harm, emotionally.
“He was in a raw emotional state of never knowing if tomorrow is the day, or the day after.”
Tony Cornberg, mitigating, said Robson has previously been the victim of a gang attack by three people who were “picking on him for being transgender”.
Mr Cornberg said Robson has struggled with personal issues and been bullied in the past but has now sought and received help.