A Fife fraudster used Grindr to scam a victim out of more than £8,000 and extort other men by threatening to post their naked photos online.
Robbie Hamilton pretended to be someone else on the dating app and told his fraud victim he was struggling financially and needed money to pay off loans and household bills.
He gained £8,339 from December 1 2020 to February 26 last year.
Hamilton previously induced four other men on Grindr – a dating app used by gay people – into sending him naked photos, which he used to extort or attempt to extort them for hundreds of pounds.
He told one target he had screenshotted his nude pictures and would “print them and post them all over Burntisland and the internet” unless he was paid.
Hamilton, of Dick Crescent in Burntisland, admitted the charges at an earlier hearing in April.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane told him: “Rarely have I read about such vile behaviour.
“Doing what you did was so wrong on every level.
“Every single penny will be paid back.”
£8,000 scam
Procurator fiscal depute Lee-Anne Hannan said Hamilton used a pseudonym on Grindr to tell the fraud victim he was a 19-year-old living in Anstruther and had lost his job as an apprentice joiner earning up to £6,000 a month.
He said he was struggling financially and the pair also engaged in sexual conversation.
The fiscal depute said Hamilton would request increasingly higher sums of money, claiming it was to pay off loans or associated fees, with the sympathetic victim agreeing to help.
The court heard his victim began to question whether he would get his money back but Hamilton continued to request money for bills, fees, food and loan repayments.
He said he was awaiting a large loan payment to repay the man.
Hamilton promised increased repayment amounts, sexual videos and said he would engage in sexual activity when the loan came through.
The victim agreed to send money but said he was stressed by his own financial situation.
When the man eventually said he would be seeking legal advice, Hamilton told him he would be getting nothing back and claimed he felt suicidal and he was “making it worse”.
‘Sextortion’ victims
In September 2020, Hamilton extorted £420 from another man he met on Grindr by threatening to post naked photos online unless he “helped” him with money.
Hamilton had first sent pictures of a male wearing a navy Armani tracksuit and images of a man’s penis, requesting images in return.
The man sent him £60 but Hamilton kept asking for more money.
The victim retained screenshots of a photo sent by Hamilton and the bank transfers, which he sent to police.
In June 2020, Hamilton lured another Grindr victim into sending photos of his face and one of his erect penis, then told him he had screenshotted the images and would “print them and post them all over Burntisland and the internet” unless he paid him £100.
He told his victim he swore on his “dead dad’s grave” that as soon as he received the funds he would not contact him again.
When the money had been transferred, Hamilton asked for more and the man sent him another £20.
Hamilton extorted another victim for £30 by threatening to send his naked images to his friends and family.
He attempted to extort a fourth Grindr user by telling him he would post nude photos to all of his friends on Instagram unless he paid him £100, giving him 30 seconds to provide an answer.
The victim in this case repeatedly told Hamilton he had no money, despite further threats being made.
‘Remorseful’
The fiscal depute said when Hamilton was arrested by police in September 2020 in connection with the extortion offences, he admitted his conduct and said it “just seemed like easy money”.
He was arrested in May last year over the fraud offence and when charged, replied: “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”
Defence lawyer David Cranston told the court Hamilton was aged 18 and 19 when the offending took place and the complainers were all older than him, with the fraud victim aged 35.
He has not offended before and has now done it in spectacular style.”
— David Cranston, Hamilton’s solicitor.
The solicitor said his client lost his job during the pandemic and extorted people as a result of his financial difficulties.
Mr Cranston said Hamilton described the offending as “disgusting and vile” and told him he was “remorseful”.
The lawyer said: “He has not offended before and has now done it in spectacular style.”
Mr Cranston said Hamilton has started work as a milkman with a local dairy and anticipates earnings of £1,300 per month and finds himself “well placed” to pay compensation.
Compensation and unpaid work
Sheriff McFarlane said she was constrained by sentencing guidelines and because of his age and background, could not send him to prison.
She added: “Let me tell you, if you slip up on the order I’m about to impose you will come back and go to prison.”
The sheriff ordered Hamilton to pay compensation – totalling £8,900 – to his victims at a rate of £300 per month.
He was also placed under a one year supervision order and told to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
