Public toilet blackmailer jailed
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Darren Witham encouraged men to take part in sexual acts before claiming to be a police officer and demanding money
A man who blackmailed victims he approached for sex in a public toilet was jailed for four years today.
Darren Witham, 38, from Terrington, in Norfolk, blackmailed four men he spoke to in the toilet block off an alleyway in King's Lynn.
He approached the men and encouraged them to take part in sexual acts before claiming to be a police officer and demanding cash in exchange for his silence.
He appeared before Norwich crown court after earlier admitting two counts of blackmail and was sentenced to four years in prison, police said.
Detective Constable Darren Nurse said: "It took a great deal of courage for each of the victims to come forward and report each of the incidents to us.
"We were able to reassure the victims that all information disclosed to us would be handled sensitively and in the strictest confidence.
"Witham knew exactly what he was doing and set out to specifically prey on males using the toilet block.
"The impact his actions have had on each of the victims has been tremendous and they should be commended for the courage they have shown."
The victims cannot be identified for legal reasons.
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It's really sad and twisted what some people will resort to in order to try and score a quick buck or two.
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I've never heard of that sort scam ever happening before.
At least the real cops didn't get those 4 guys. I don't know about UK laws, but in the US they'd be screwed. They'd have to register as sex offenders every year.
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The same for the UK.
This guy might be a sex offender too, since part of his crime was sex in public bathrooms.
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I know for sure under Canadian law (particularly the portion better known as "Christopher's Law"), such an act would be considered a sex crime, which in most cases, carries a minimum of a 2-year sentence (per count), as well as having to register annually with the sex offender's registry.
