Blackmail gang tells st ar to pay £50,000… or face sex attack lies

A SHOWBUSINESS star has been targeted by a blackmail gang who threatened to publish false sex abuse allegations against him unless he paid them £50,000.

An anonymous letter warned that his career and reputation would be destroyed if he did not agree to the gang’s demands.

The British celebrity was forced to obtain a gagging order from a senior judge in order to stop lies about him assaulting a woman being made public. A High Court hearing was told the letter was received in the post on December 5 by an agent for a man ‘well known to the public as a result of his work in the entertainment business’. The letter claimed to be from a ‘highly discreet organization [sic]’ with a client who alleged that the entertainer had committed a ‘very serious’ offence against her ‘some years ago’.

It demanded £50,000 for her in ‘recompense’ and warned that ‘should you not choose to settle this matter financially the details of the case will be released via a number of news agencies and online resources’.

The entertainer went straight to his solicitors and police, who told him it was a ‘clear blackmail attempt’ but also a scam ‘because of its generic content’. Detectives were aware of six similar letters, five to people in London.

The star, referred to as LJY in the judgment, told the court there was ‘ no justification’ for the claims but that their disclosure would ‘destroy my reputation and entire career’. His barrister warned ‘what the police know about this and other cases may be only the tip of an iceberg’.

Mr Justice Warby ordered that the gang be told about the interim injunction ‘by a series of texts’ to an untraceable mobile number given in the letter.