Manipulative bully, 30, who used Moonpig and Instagram to threaten to share intimate pictures and videos of two woman unless they paid him thousands of pounds in ‘horrific’ blackmail campaign is jailed for seven years and three months
- Zeashan Mahmood, 30, used fake Instagram accounts to hound his victims
- Mahmood was finally arrested in February 2021 a three-year campaign
- His victims sent him more than £80,000 in total to stop the images being shared
- Preston Crown Court heard he also sent his victims threatening Moonpig cards
A manipulative bully who used Instagram and Moonpig to threaten to share intimate pictures and videos of two women during a ‘horrific’ three-year blackmail campaign has been jailed.
Zeashan Mahmood, 30, was sentenced to serve seven years and three months yesterday after the two women bravely testified against him in court.
Preston Crown Court heard how Mahmood made various fake Instagram accounts to hound his victims, who in total sent him more than £80,000 in a desperate attempt to stop the images being shared.
After being reported to the police, he then sent a victim Moonpig cards demanding further cash, threatening to tell their families.
Mahmood, of Clifton, Preston, even sent one an email saying ‘guess who is alive’ and another with her intimate pictures attached to it.
Zeashan Mahmood, 30, was jailed for seven years and three months yesterday after a ‘horrific’ three-year blackmail campaign where he used Instagram and Moonpig to threaten to share intimate pictures and videos of two women
One of the victims had disclosed private pictures and videos to Mahmood in 2017.
In January 2018, he told her he was in financial difficulty and pressured her to send him money.
He then contacted her via Instagram under an alias and threatened her, demanding that she send him more money or he would share the private pictures and videos online.
He also made threats against her loved ones if she did not comply, so she went on to send him £20,000 in payments.
Mahmood’s second victim told the court how she had disclosed to him an intimate sexual experience she had with a boyfriend previously.
He went on to claim that he had a video of this incident and then demanded £7,000 from her, all the while threatening that he would send the video to her family and friends if she did not pay the fee.
In addition, Mahmood demanded that the victim send intimate pictures, videos and texts of a sexual nature and that if she did not comply, he threatened to increase the fee.
The defendant told the victim that he needed money to stop the videos from being published and said the blackmail was part of his involvement in an organised crime group.
He went on to create more fake Instagram accounts, which he used to message the victim and convince her that his claim was real so that she would continue sending sexual content and money to him.
Across a three year period, the victim sent Mahmood in excess of £66,000.
Despite the money handed over to Mahmood, he then proceeded to post the videos he’d received of the victim onto the internet, where he encouraged users to share it around.
Preston Crown Court heard how Mahmood made various fake Instagram accounts to hound his victims, who in total sent him more than £80,000 in a desperate attempt to stop the images being shared
Upon the victim’s report to police, the defendant sent Moonpig cards to her address, telling her ‘money is needed’.
He was eventually arrested in February 2021 as part of a joint effort between Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Police.
Mahmood pleaded guilty to two counts of blackmail and three counts of distributing indecent images with intent to cause distress.
Detective Constable Brundrett, of GMP Manchester’s Criminal Investigation Department, said: ‘I would like to thank the victims for having the bravery to speak out about this horrific and long-term abuse.
‘Over three years, Mahmood operated a web of lies and manipulated the victims to get exactly what he wanted, when he wanted.
‘The severity of these offences should not be underestimated. Today’s sentence is much deserved and reaffirms our commitment as police officers to put these perpetrators behind bars and prevent this awful crime from occurring.’
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