Police Officer Jailed After Blackmailing Suspect to Fund Gambling Habit

A police officer in the UK has been jailed after attempting to blackmail a suspect in a case she was handling to fund her gambling habit.

A press release issued by the South Yorkshire Police reported Marie Thompson has been jailed for three years and four months following an investigation by the force’s Professional Standards Department (PSD).

In 2023, Thompson anonymously contacted a suspect she was investigating for possessing indecent images of children through a nameless email account. She told the suspect that to keep the allegations against them quiet, they had until midnight to pay £3,500.

In court, it was revealed that she sent an email stating, “Information has been passed to us that you have been arrested for media involving children. As an organisation which works to protect children from people such as yourself we therefore ask you to make a donation to us.”

The email, which was signed “Paedophile Hunters,” provided the number and sort code for a bank account and demanded that the man pay the money into it in order not to publicize the allegations against him.

The man’s partner later received a text message stating that he had to reply to the initial email by the end of the day. It later emerged that the ransom was a way for Thompson to relieve her significant debt from gambling. The suspect did not pay the money; instead, they reported the blackmail to the police.

Thompson Used Position to Cover Up Complaint

As Thompson was the officer in charge of the suspect’s case, she was able to cover up the allegations. She falsely reported that the individual, who cannot be named due to reporting restrictions, did not wish to take any further action regarding the blackmail.

A few days later, she sent another anonymous email to the suspect apologizing. She wrote, ‘I’m so sorry’, and stated she had been desperate, but had no excuse for the previous email and was going to cease all contact.

Thompson did not reveal her identity, but claimed she had inadvertently overheard the suspect in the police station. She wrote, “I came to drop something off for my mum and overheard you talking. I never told a soul and never intended to.”

Fellow Officer Discovered Thompson’s Cover Up

Thompson’s indiscretions were discovered after she transferred to a different team. Her caseload was taken over by another officer, who, upon being informed by the man about the original blackmail plot, discovered that Thompson had not properly investigated it.

When the officer checked the number from which the man’s partner had received the threats, he discovered that it matched the one Thompson had used on her police vetting form. She was subsequently arrested and charged. The investigation also led to revelations about her gambling debt.

Detective Constable Alexandra Furniss, the officer in charge of this case, said: “Thompson’s crimes are shameful and cast a shadow over the excellent work being delivered for our communities by policing colleagues driven by fairness, integrity and trust.”

Easy Way to Make Money

Thompson had sensed she could use her position to relieve her gambling debts. She pleaded guilty to blackmail and perverting the course of justice at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court on September 4. At the same court, she was sentenced to three years and four months in prison on Thursday.

Elsewhere, a police officer in Japan resigned from the force last month after being caught illegally gambling at online casinos. The officer admitted to the activity and said, “I thought it would be an easy way to make money.”

There have also been cases of emergency service workers using their positions in an attempt to fund gambling habits. Earlier this month, a New Yorker was jailed after stealing almost $450,000 from the Sheridan Park Volunteer Fire Company to fund his gambling habit.