Sunderland blackmailer used fake snapchat account for cruel topless picture scam
A blackmailer who used a fake Snapchat account to target a dad-to-be in a cruel topless photograph scam has been put behind bars.
Dominic Dawson used a profile of a young woman named Chloe, which he had bought for £40 and was preloaded with saucy pictures, then sent friend requests to random men.
Newcastle Crown Court heard after the victim accepted the request he received an image of "Chloe" with her breasts exposed and was offered access to her premium content for around £10 or £20.
Prosecutor Emma Dowling told the court the victim subscribed and made one payment but added: "After a week or so Chloe chased him for further cash, which he couldn't afford."
The court heard when the victim refused to pay out any more money he was told the content he had already received featured someone underage and he would be reported to the police and social services, which put his relationship and contact with his unborn child in jeopardy.
As a result, he handed over more than £700, got behind with bills and ended up having suicidal thoughts because of the pressure he was put under.
Miss Dowling said: "Chloe sent bank details and repeatedly demanded money from him.
"When he did pay she would say it was enough then demand more. "He formed the view that Chloe knew more about his life then she could possibly have gleaned from social media. She knew he had a partner and they were expecting a baby. She appeared to know when they had been at hospital for a scan.
"The threats to report him to social services continued."
Miss Dowling said at one point the demands seemed to stop and the victim believed it was over but he then started receiving messages on Instagram and added: "The threats resumed, threatening to expose him to the social services, the police and newspapers and his career would be over."
The court heard the threats became "increasingly aggressive" and "more and more menacing".
Miss Dowling said when the victim begged for more time to raise money this was refused.
It was only after the victim's girlfriend saw some of the messages and found out what had been happening that the police became involved.
Dawson, 26, of Cranleigh Road, Sunderland, admitted blackmail and has been jailed for two years.
Mr Recorder David Brooke KC said he accepted Dawson acted "out of character" and that he is not a "hardened sophisticated criminal" but told him: "The impact on this particular individual was enormous for him.
"He got behind on his bills, had massive anxiety and suicidal thoughts. "You were threatening him on the basis it was an underage image and he might not have contact with his child.
"You can't be surprised that the only sentence here is one of custody."
Recorder Brooke said Dawson had bought the fake Snapchat account and been given advice on how to use it for £40. The recorder said Dawson admitted he had used that account to send friend requests to several men and had used "exploitation and similar threatening methods" to get cash from them.
Andrew Walker, defending, said Dawson has never been in trouble before, is in employment, has a partner and child and added: "He is essentially a hard working individual."
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