Yorkshire Police Officer Jailed for Blackmailing Suspect She Had Arrested

Strategic Insights -

A South Yorkshire police officer, 29-year-old Pc Marie Thompson, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to blackmail and perverting the course of justice. Thompson had posed as a pedophile hunter and blackmailed an indecent images suspect she had arrested in October 2022, demanding £3,500 to fund her gambling addiction. The court heard that Thompson used a fake email address and lied to the man, saying she couldn't find the perpetrator, despite having access to his digital devices.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pc Marie Thompson, a 29-year-old South Yorkshire police officer, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for blackmail and perverting the course of justice.
  • Thompson posed as a pedophile hunter and blackmailed an indecent images suspect she had arrested in October 2022, demanding £3,500 to fund her gambling addiction.
  • The court heard that Thompson used a fake email address and lied to the man, saying she couldn't find the perpetrator, despite having access to his digital devices.
  • Thompson told the man she would investigate the matter, but falsely endorsed the crime report to say that he did not want to pursue a complaint.
  • The man received a second email with the subject "I'm so sorry", which was another attempt by Thompson to cover her tracks.
  • Thompson lied again to the man six weeks later, saying that the sender of the email and text message could not be traced.
  • The officer who inherited the man's case discovered that the number from the text message sent to the man's partner matched Thompson's police vetting number.
  • The man, who was later given a suspended prison sentence for the indecent image charges, said he felt extremely angry towards Thompson, who he trusted in her role as a police officer.

Statistics:

  • £3,500: the amount of money demanded by Thompson from the indecent images suspect.
  • 40 months: the prison sentence given to Pc Marie Thompson for blackmail and perverting the course of justice.
  • October 2022: the month in which Pc Marie Thompson arrested the indecent images suspect.
  • March 2023: the month in which Thompson left the police team and her caseload was transferred.

Sources:

  • "Yorkshire police officer who posed as paedo hunter to blackmail suspect is jailed for almost 3 years." The Daily Mail (last accessed 2023-02-18)
  • "South Yorkshire Police officer jailed for blackmailing suspect she had arrested." PA Media (last accessed 2023-02-18)