Devious Wakefield operator blackmailed women for cash over explicit snaps and videos
A shady boyfriend extorted cash from women after tricking them into sending explicit videos and photos of themselves.
Sick Adam Dytham spun stories about him owing money to dangerous drug dealers and asked the victims for money, but when they refused, he said he would send the private images to their friends and family.
He escaped an immediate jail sentence at Leeds Crown Court this week, but only because it had taken six years to come to court.
Judge Christopher Batty said the delay was “unfathomable”, and said had it been brought to court sooner he hinted that Dytham may have been locked up.
The 30-year-old admitted two counts of blackmail.
Prosecutor Oishee Dey said he started chatting to the first victim on social media in 2019.
After charming her, he convinced her to send across the sexually-explicit videos, but he then began asking for money, saying he was in debt to a dealer.
She obliged, but he later asked for more and when she refused, he told her that her friends and family would be sent the videos.
He even sent her screenshot photos of her family to show her he knew who they were, Ms Dey said.
He even told her he had a “nice conversation” with her ex boyfriend. She then severed contact.
Months later he latched onto another woman and spoke with her for weeks online, before she too was persuaded to send explicit photos.
Like the first victim, he told her he was in debt and asked for money. When she refused, he threatened to pass on the images to her family and friends.
Again, he found Facebook images of her family and sent them to her. She then gave him the £65 he asked for, but the next day he demanded another £65.
He was later arrested and tried to claim his phone had been hacked and he was not responsible, but refused to hand over his phone.
He later admitted he was behind the blackmail, but only changed his pleas days before he was due to stand trial.
Ms Dey said there were no details as to why the case took so long to reach court.
The 30-year-old, of Arncliffe Drive, Knottingley, has 16 previous convictions for 28 offences.
No mitigation was offered by his barrister Holly Thompson, after Judge Batty said he would not lock him up, although she did say he had stayed out of trouble since.
Judge Batty told Dytham: “The impact of these offences is, quite frankly, dreadful.
“What you did was awful and you accept that. Had you been charged when you should have been then maybe we would have been looking at something different, but an awful lot has happened in the last six years.”
He gave him a 13-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 20 rehabilitation days to complete.