Liam Hull was given a two and a half year jail sentence last week after being found guilty of blackmail.

 

The 22-year-old from Lutan, England, would find men through Grindr and arrange to meet up, often getting a few naked pics from them and some personal details. Hull would then use the Internet and social media to learn more about a victim, and then threatened to out them if they didn't give him money. 

 

One man paid thousands, and later came out to his wife following the threats. Another man had a mild stroke, blamed on the stress caused by Hull. Prosecutors said that other victims refused to come forward.

 

He received thousands of pounds before one victim was able to track down Hull's gay escort profile using his cell phone number. Police took it from there.

 

Hull pleaded guilty.

 

Judge Foster said: “[Judge] Lord Lane said that in the calendar of criminal offences, blackmail was one of the ugliest and most vicious because it involved what one found so often, the attempted murder of the soul.”

 

The judge also thanked all three of the victims who came forward for allowing “justice to be done."