Man jailed for two years and four months after blackmailing men he met on Grindr
Patryk Hrymak was found guilty of eight counts of blackmail and two counts of disclosing photographs and films with intent to cause distress
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
A man has been jailed for two years and four months after blackmailing men he met on Grindr.
Patryk Hrymak, 27, used the hook-up app to speak to his victims before using other ways of communicating where they sent nude images.
He then claimed he needed to know they were real and told them to confirm their identities by providing social media details.
Once he had received the photos, he threatened to leak to them to their contracts on social media unless they paid him.
One of the men paid him £120 to stop from leaking his nude images but the other victims blocked him and reported him to the police after the blackmail attempt.
Hrymak was arrested in 2018 and pleaded guilty to all charges, the Evening Standard reported.
Detective constable Keval Varia, who investigated the case, said: “The victims in this case were contacted via a male only dating app, however anyone using any form of online dating service, should be wary of sending intimate photographs of themselves.
“Think carefully about what you share with people online.
“I hope that the sentence handed down brings a measure of closure for the victims.”
The Evening Standard claim he started blackmailing men as he had accrued a £7,500 debt from a cannabis habit.
On Tuesday (August 20), he was found guilty of eight counts of blackmail and two counts of disclosing photographs and films with intent to cause distress.