Ben Rowe prosecutes man who blackmailed Middle Eastern Royal Family.

Ben was instructed to prosecute a man who entered into an online relationship with a member of the Royal Family of a nation in the Middle East while she was visiting the UK. During the relationship the victim sent the man intimate photographs of herself.

After the victim ended their relationship due to his controlling nature, and the long distance between them, the defendant started an online campaign against her. For over six months the defendant stalked the victim and threatened to share intimate images of her on the internet. The defendant then blackmailed her. He demanded a sum of over £300,000 and stated that unless the money was paid he would ruin her. The defendant told the victim that she would “wake up to madness” and said that he had sent copies of her private data to a third party for safe keeping. The victim refused to pay, and the defendant created a host of online accounts in the victim’s name, began to contact her family members (including minors), and posted intimate photos of her online.

The threats and stalking continued until the victim finally reported his behaviour to UK police and her local cybersecurity authority.

After the defendant’s arrest, Ben worked closely with the CPS and investigating officers to build a watertight case against the defendant which relied upon civilian, police and digital expert evidence. The defendant was left with no choice but to plead guilty.

In a recent sentence hearing at a London Court, Ben acted for the Crown. The Judge found that the blackmail and stalking were both “1A” cases – the most serious of their kind. There were extreme aggravating features.

After credit, the defendant was sentenced to over five years’ imprisonment.

Ben was instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service.