Cop Caught Blackmailing Paedo Suspect with Fake ‘Vigilante’ Threats
A serving police officer has admitted to blackmailing a man suspected of possessing indecent images of children by pretending to be part of a vigilante paedophile hunting group.
Sheffield PC Faked Paedo Hunters to Demand Cash
PC Marie Thompson, 29, from Sheffield, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to charges of blackmail and perverting the course of justice. Thompson led the investigation into the man’s case and arrested him in October 2022.
But just months later, in January 2023, she sent the suspect an anonymous email demanding £3,500 to keep the allegations quiet. Using the name “Paedophile Hunters,” she even included a bank account number and sort code for payment, prosecutors revealed.
‘Desperate’ Texts and Lies Uncovered
- Thompson also sent anonymous texts to the suspect’s partner, warning she needed a reply by the end of the day.
- The man never paid, and days later Thompson emailed an apology, claiming she had been “desperate.”
- She later lied, telling the suspect the source of the emails couldn’t be traced.
- An internal probe found the texts came from Thompson’s personal phone and the emails from her personal laptop.
- South Yorkshire Police arrested Thompson in October 2023. She’s been suspended since.
Debt, Gambling and Downfall
South Yorkshire Police revealed Thompson was in “significant debt through gambling” during her offending spree.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, slammed her behaviour as “disgraceful” and “reprehensible.”
He said: “Her actions amounted to a serious abuse of the trust which we rightly have in anyone in public office to perform their duties. We will always work hard to prosecute corruption of this nature.”
Detective Superintendent James Axe added that Thompson’s former colleagues were “horrified” by her crimes.
“Thompson’s actions were wholly inexcusable. Her deceitful offending is shameful and her former colleagues are as horrified by these crimes as members of the public will be.”
Sentencing Looms
PC Marie Thompson remains suspended and has been bailed ahead of her sentencing hearing on 30 October.
