PRESS RELEASE
A blackmail case was solved, which involved a threat to publish personal photos of a woman and post them on a social networking site.
He was arrested in the Skydra area as the perpetrator of the blackmail, the 22-year-old local online interlocutor of the complainant, as well as his 19-year-old accomplice
The perpetrator, using a video‑call application, photographed the complainant without her knowledge and without her explicit consent
In order not to publish the victim's personal photos, the perpetrator demanded and received a sum of money and jewelry, which he sold to a pawnshop owner
The systematic investigation by police officers of the Extortion Prosecution Department of the Thessaloniki Security Directorate led to the digital traces of an internet user and the subsequent investigation into a case of extortion , which he committed against his online interlocutor
A 22-year-old Greek national and his 19-year-old accomplice were arrested following a surprise police operation that took place yesterday (21-10-2014) in the Skydra area (Pella Prefecture). A case has been filed against them for the crimes of "Continuous Extortion", "Violation of the Privacy of Telephone Calls and Oral Conversations" and "Simple Complicity in Extortion".
A complaint was filed by a 37-year-old woman, according to which the perpetrator, exploiting the trust relationship they had developed after their online acquaintance, which took place in October 2013, photographed her without her knowledge and without her explicit consent, using online video call software.
In order not to have her post her personal photos on a social networking site and not to send them to her relatives, the perpetrator demanded and extorted from the victim the total sum of (4,000) euros and various gold jewelry.
Using the same pretext and with the aim of illegally extracting an additional amount of (3,000) euros from the 37-year-old woman, he arranged a meeting with her, which took place in the early morning yesterday (21-10-2014) at his place of residence, Skydra Pellas.
At the transaction site, the perpetrator arrived and was arrested, along with his 19-year-old accomplice, who, throughout the meeting, was monitoring the surrounding area.
Police investigations were carried out, resulting in the discovery and seizure at the perpetrator's possession and residence of:
- A portable digital file storage device (USB STICK), which contained photos of the victim
- A computer,
- A portable memory card and
- A deposit book.
For the same case, a case file was opened for «Acceptance and disposal of crime products» against a 25-year-old former owner of a jewelry pawnshop in the Skydra area, who bought from the perpetrator the jewelry of the 37-year-old, for a monetary amount.
Investigations continue regarding possible involvement of the perpetrator in similar extortion cases.
The detainees, with the case files that were opened against them, will be referred to the Prosecutor of Minor Offenses in Edessa.
