MAN JAILED FOLLOWING SUSTAINED CAMPAIGN OF ‘HORRIFIC’ BLACKMAIL OFFENCES
A 29-year-old man from Preston has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison on 10 August 2022 after being convicted of blackmail over a period of three years involving two victims.Zeashan Mahmood (born 2 June 1992), residing in Foxtail Close, Clifton, Preston, admitted to two counts of blackmail and three counts of distributing indecent images with intent to cause distress.
During a trial held at Preston Crown Court, two women testified about their experiences with Mahmood.
One victim recounted how she shared private pictures and videos with Mahmood in 2017.
In January 2018, he contacted her claiming financial hardship and pressured her to send money.
Later, Mahmood used an alias on Instagram to threaten her, demanding additional funds under the threat of sharing her private content online.
He also threatened her family members if she did not comply.
Fearing these consequences, she sent him around £20,000.
The second woman described how she revealed an intimate sexual experience with her partner to Mahmood.
He then claimed to possess a video of the encounter, demanding £7,000 and threatening to share the footage with her relatives if she did not pay.
Mahmood also insisted she send him explicit pictures, videos, and texts, increasing his demands if she refused.
The defendant claimed he needed money to prevent the videos from being shared and falsely stated he was part of an organised crime group.
Throughout three years, Mahmood created multiple fake Instagram accounts to communicate with the second victim, convincing her that his claims were genuine.
This manipulation led her to send him more than £66,000 in total.
Despite receiving these payments, Mahmood posted the videos of the second victim online and encouraged others to distribute them.
After her reporting to the police, Mahmood sent her Moonpig cards and emails threatening exposure, including sexual images of her.
He was arrested in February 2021 during a coordinated operation by Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Police.
