A security guard in Hong Kong is now in jail after he threatened to spread his ex-boyfriend’s nudes.
According to the Hong Kong Standard, a 24-year-old security guard named Ma Tsun-win was recently given a 30 month jail sentence after he blackmailed his former lover for HK$4,500 (approximately $580.60). Ma and his 29-year-old ex-boyfriend, who was labeled X by the court, allegedly met over the gay dating app Grindr in September of 2018. The relationship then continued until February 2019 when X asked to end the relationship. Ma, however, did not take the breakup well.
According to court hearings, Ma then threatened to release X’s information online. This included nude photos of X. In order to sate him, Ma asked X for HK$3,000. After that, Ma demanded an additional HK$1,500. X then reported Ma to the police on February 27.
During the court proceedings, the defense counsel stated that Ma was in a lost and confused state within his life. The defense claimed that Ma being unsure about his sexuality led to the crime. Ma’s defense team also stated that Ma now understands his fault and that he’s receiving support from his family and friends as he refocuses on his education.
Despite that defense, court judge Ernest Lin Kam-hung sentenced Ma to 30 months in jail. In his explanation of the sentence, Lin stated that Ma did not act out of confusion, but out of greed.
“Ma does not have any physical or mental sickness, he committed the crime due to his greed, and has been sentenced to jail for similar cases before, which shows that this is not his first time using the tactic that he has used to commit a crime,” Lin said at the sentencing.
Source: The Hong Kong Standard,
