MAN JAILED FOR BLACKMAILING WOMAN OVER INTIMATE IMAGES
A man who extorted more then £8,000 from a vulnerable woman who had sent him intimate images has been jailed for two years.Jordan McKeever, 27, from Glenview Drive in Limavady, County Londonderry, will serve another two years on supervised licence when he is freed from prison.
Antrim Crown Court was told that he had blackmailed the women he had met online, to fund a gambling habit.
Passing sentence, Judge Peter Irvine KC described McKeever's actions as "despicable" and said blackmail, which "preys on the soul" of the victim, always warranted a deterrent sentence.
The judge noted the offences involved a high degree of planning and described the actions as "a most despicable series of actions over this lengthy period of time." McKeever admitted that between January 2023 and April 2024 he made unwarranted demands for money "with menaces" from the woman "with a view to make a gain for himself." She had met him online in January 2023 after receiving a friend request from a man she did not know.
After about a month of online contact, McKeever asked her to send intimate images.
After being sent an image, McKeever then began demanding money, threatening to share the images with friends and colleagues.
The total payments made by the victim amounted to £8,266.
Police identified McKeever through social media and bank records.
Initially, he gave "no comment" interviews but later made full admissions, telling officers he had created multiple online profiles to avoid detection and had asked for money to fund his gambling.
He denied that he would have actually shared the images.
The court noted that the offence was "nasty, deliberate and exploitative." The defence acknowledged the seriousness of the offence and that McKeever had shown remorse.
A four-year restraining order was also imposed on him.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland welcomed the sentence, emphasizing the distress caused to the victim and encouraging other victims to come forward.
