Deception on Tinder

Attempted blackmail with nude photos

The accused could not or did not really want to say why he committed the crime. (Bild: Dorn Chantall)

The accused posed as a woman on the Tinder platform and blackmailed men with their nude photos - repeatedly. He has now been put on trial at Feldkirch Regional Court.

"I don't know why I did it. It was simply a short-circuited act," said the 26-year-old craftsman helplessly at the trial on Monday. The previously blameless man is charged with attempted extortion.

Unfortunately not a one-off slip-up
The man had created a fake profile on Tinder a year ago and posed as "Lisa". However, the aim of the homosexual was to wrest masturbation videos from his male chat acquaintance in order to blackmail the victim. The man demanded 300 euros from the unsuspecting man and threatened to send the video to other internet acquaintances if he did not. The victim was supposed to pay the money using a Paysafecard.

During the trial, the defendant insists that this was a single slip-up. However, according to a statement from the Ravensburg public prosecutor's office, the 26-year-old was already under investigation in a similar case in Darmstadt. There, he had blackmailed another victim for 100 euros at the end of October last year.

Out-of-court solution with a fine
When asked by Judge Marco Mazzia about the motives of the accused, who earns 2,200 euros in his job, he had several options to offer. These range from a simple "thrill" to "just wanting to see penises" and "to teach a lesson that you shouldn't send such things." All of which sounds quite contradictory to the Council.

As "Lisa" has no criminal record and the most recent offense remained an attempt, the defence is appealing for an out-of-court solution. However, public prosecutor Milena Fink remains firm and rejects diversion due to "no minor guilt". In the end, the judge opted for an out-of-court solution and imposed a fine of 3,000 euros on the offender.