Police urge victims to report online blackmail

Police have urged anyone who falls prey to online blackmailers to report it to them as they can catch the perpetrators.

The appeal comes as 31-year-old Romanian man Iulian Enache was jailed for four years for his part in the death of schoolboy Ronan Hughes.

Inache tricked the 17-year-old into sharing intimate photos of himself online and when he did not pay a ransom, he sent some of the pictures to Ronan's friends.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tim Mairs said the imprisonment of the blackmailer should encourage anyone young or old being victimised online to report the crime so the perpetrator can be jailed.

It was a complex investigation involving the Romanian police, Europol and the National Crime Agency but officers were determined to find him.

Mr Mairs said: "The tragedy and the pain that the Hughes family were experiencing has motivated all of us and led the team across Europe to get to Romania to bring Mr Enache before the courts so we can put a face to the evil that brought this tragedy to the heart of our community".