>> Couple jailed for blackmail after they threatened to expose married man on gay dating site Grindr
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Les prévenus menaçaient de « outer » un homme rencontré sur Grindr, après avoir appris qu’il était marié à une femme. Mais s’il a d’abord accepté le chantage, la victime a ensuite prévenu la police.
Daniel Edwards, 29 ans, a ainsi été condamné à une peine de deux ans et dix mois de prison, tandis que son complice, Wagner, 30 ans, a écopé d’un an et huit mois. Le couple devra également verser 1.500 Livres à la victime.
Selon le procureur de la Couronne : « Cette affaire révèle que l’homophobie peut exister même dans une situation où on s’y attend le moins. Daniel Edwards connaissait le préjudice qu’il causerait. Il n’a pourtant pas hésité à utiliser l’orientation sexuelle de la victime pour lui nuire ».
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>> A couple who threatened to expose a married man they met on a gay dating website have been jailed.
Daniel Edwards, 29, and Kristofer Wagner, 30, admitted blackmailing the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after ‘meeting’ him on Grindr.
Swindon Crown Court heard Edwards exchanged explicit pictures and messages with the victim, and then asked if he was married.
When the victim admitted he was married to a woman, Edwards threatened to forward the messages and pictures to his wife.
Edwards told the victim to pay him £2,000 if he wanted the information to remain private and the man agreed to pay £1,500.
Wagner then accompanied his partner to collect the cash from the victim in a car.
A short time later the victim called police.
Miss Recorder Maria Lamb jailed Edwards, of High Street, Gloucester, for two years and 10 months, and Wagner, of Wellington Street, Gloucester, for one year eight months.
She said: « It may not have been sophisticated in its execution.
« Edwards took advantage of the conversation between him and the victim on the social internet.
« There was an exchange of images and texts.
« Some were printed and those were recovered from the vehicle.
« They were taken to have been sent to the aggrieved’s wife.
« Money was handed over to Edwards.
« I have read the victim personal statement.
« It details the misery and unhappiness that being subjected to this course of conduct left him feeling.
« No doubt it had implications for his wife as well. »
The judge said Edwards, who has been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder, denied any involvement during police interview.
She acknowledged that custody would be difficult for Wagner as he has been diagnosed with a medical condition.
Following the sentence, Kate Lewis, senior crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service in Wessex, said: « This case shows that homophobia can exist even in a situation where it is least expected.
« The defendants understood the sensitivity of the victim’s situation and cruelly used this against him.
« There is no doubt that Daniel Edwards specifically targeted his victim, first by going on a gay dating website and secondly by determining whether the victim was married in order to blackmail him.
« The CPS according to its policy treated the case as a homophobic hate crime because Daniel Edwards threatened to ‘out’ the victim if he refused to pay the sum of money demanded.
« He knew the harm it would cause to the victim and his family.
« We considered the case as a homophobic hate crime because of the perception that the defendants were motivated by hostility towards the victim because of his sexuality. »
