The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Girl extorted cash from man she met online
Teenager threatened man to obtain money
A teenager extorted hundreds of pounds from a businessman she met on a “sugar daddies” website after he “took photos of her breasts” and “threatened to humiliate her with them if she didn’t meet his requirements”, a court heard yesterday.
Aisling Ironside had already received money from the man and responded to the threat by saying she would “expose the man’s infidelity to the media” unless he continued giving her cash.
She obtained a further £550 from him before he went to the police over the extortion.
The court was told the man later told Ironside he had “friends in high places” and would ensure “nothing came” of the case.
The man can only be referred to as Mr A after he won a court order barring his identity from being published in relation to the case due to a “pressing social need”.
He took the fight to protect his identity to the High Court.
Yesterday Dundee Sheriff Court was told Ironside – then aged 17 – had met Mr A through the website SeekingArrangement.com which advertises itself as “a new way for relationships to form and grow”.
It states: “Sugar Babies and Sugar Daddies or Mommas both get what they want, when they want it. We provide relationships on your terms.
“Where Sugar Babies enjoy a life of luxury by being pampered with fine dinners, exotic trips and allowances.
“In turn Sugar Daddies or Mommas find beautiful members to accompany them at all times.”
Ironside’s lawyer insisted there had been “no intimacy” between the pair but said at one stage during their “relationship” Mr A had “taken photos of her naked breasts”.
The court was told Mr A had previously given her £1,200 to decorate a new home, among other payments.
Depute fiscal Lynne Mannion told the court the pair had met on the site and that a “relationship” formed between them.
She said: “He provided the accused with money previous to this particular occasion.
“On this occasion the accused asked for money and advised when he was reluctant to provide that money that she would expose his infidelity.
“There was then a payment of £550 transferred to her bank account.
“However, the complainer then went to the police and advised them of the situation.”
Ironside, 20, of Nellfield Place, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge of extortion committed between November 25 and November 29 2016.
Defence solicitor Alex Burn said: “She had gone to this website simply for friendship and met with him in various places such as Stonehaven and Dundee.
“She was 17 at the time and during one of the meetings he had taken photos of her naked breasts.
“He threatened that if she did not meet certain requirements he would show this with a view to clearly humiliating her.
“She engaged in this idiotic plan to get money from him.
“He previously gave her £1,200 to decorate a new home she was moving in to.
“However, this was by way of payback for what he was threatening to do to her.
“On one view he was an older man with more responsibilities than she did.
“He was married and clearly had a reputation he has spent time and money trying to protect and if anything she’s as much a victim.
“He had indicated he had friends in high places, including the police, and would make sure nothing came of this but clearly it has.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael fined Ironside £550.