A man who threatened to share intimate videos of a teenage boy unless he performed sexual acts has had his sentence increased after the Attorney General's Office referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient.
Jamie Pickering, 23, persistently threatened to falsely tell the 18 year old victim's girlfriend that the victim had engaged in sexual activity with him. After several threats, the offender coerced the victim to his house, where he sexually assaulted the victim. Pickering then threatened to show photographs to the victim's girlfriend unless he agreed to have full sexual intercourse. When he refused, Pickering set up a fake Facebook account and sent a nude photograph of the victim to the victim's girlfriend.
Using a different fake social media account, to give the victim the impression that his friends had seen the video, Pickering threatened to distribute the video more widely within a fortnight, unless the victim paid him £1,000.
Pickering was arrested and convicted of 2 counts of sexual assault and one count of blackmail. On 21 March at Leeds Crown Court he was given a sentence of 18 months' imprisonment, suspended for 2 years. His sentence was today increased to an immediate custodial sentence of 3 years.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Lucy Frazer QC MP, said:
"Pickering's actions were callous and calculating, using blackmail to facilitate sexual assaults and a financial gain. The sustained nature of the offence and anguish inflicted on the victim means it is important he sees justice is done."
