Woman blackmailed by thief who stole phone and threatened to post explicit snaps on Facebook
06.04.2022 - 17:43
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A thug, who had built up a serious gambling problem, blackmailed a worried young woman by threatening to post explicit images of her on Facebook unless she handed over money.
Serial burglar Daniel Ogrodnik, 31, hacked into the woman's social media accounts, including Instagram, and discovered the snaps after stealing a mobile phone and other possessions during a raid at her home.
He targeted multiple households in a series of burglaries in one area and even raided a house where he had one lived, Hull Crown Court heard.
Ogrodnik, of Hull, admitted to four offences of burglary, one of blackmail, two of fraud and another of possessing amphetamine, Hull Live reports.
Prosecutor, Charlotte Baines, said that Ogrodnik broke into a house of multiple occupancy in Hull in July 2020 and stole items from three victims, including a laptop, wallet, rucksack, mobile phone and a purse. His fingerprints were left on a window.
A woman later found that her social media accounts, including Instagram, had been hacked. A female friend of hers later received a message, supposedly from the woman, asking for money because she was in trouble as explicit photographs of her might be released.
One of the messages included details of a bank account for the money to be paid into. It was traced to Ogrodnik. She realised that he had gained access to her contacts and pictures, some of them explicit.
"She was told that they had her Facebook details and they would be shared if she didn't pay," said Miss Baines. "Blackmail is always an unpleasant offence for the victim."
Ogrodnik also raided another house in Sharp Street on November 25, 2020 and stole items from downstairs rooms, including a games console, a necklace, an iPod and bank cards. He tried to use