A thug, who had constructed up a severe playing downside, blackmailed a fearful younger lady by threatening to publish express photographs of her on Fb except she handed over cash.
Serial burglar Daniel Ogrodnik, 31, hacked into the girl's social media accounts, together with Instagram, and found the snaps after stealing a cell phone and different possessions throughout a raid at her house.
He focused a number of households in a collection of burglaries in a single space and even raided a home the place he had one lived, Hull Crown Courtroom heard.
Ogrodnik, of Hull, admitted to 4 offences of housebreaking, considered one of blackmail, two of fraud and one other of possessing amphetamine, Hull Dwell stories.
Prosecutor, Charlotte Baines, mentioned that Ogrodnik broke right into a home of a number of occupancy in Hull in July 2020 and stole gadgets from three victims, together with a laptop computer, pockets, rucksack, cell phone and a handbag. His fingerprints have been left on a window.
A girl later discovered that her social media accounts, together with Instagram, had been hacked. A feminine pal of hers later acquired a message, supposedly from the girl, asking for cash as a result of she was in hassle as express images of her may be launched.
One of many messages included particulars of a checking account for the cash to be paid into. It was traced to Ogrodnik. She realised that he had gained entry to her contacts and photos, a few of them express.
"She was instructed that they'd her Fb particulars and they might be shared if she did not pay," mentioned Miss Baines. "Blackmail is at all times an disagreeable offence for the sufferer."
Ogrodnik additionally raided one other home in Sharp Road on November 25, 2020 and stole gadgets from downstairs rooms, together with a video games console, a necklace, an iPod and financial institution playing cards. He tried to make use of a card to put a web-based wager with a bookmakers. He additionally burgled one other home in Sharp Road on April 25 final 12 months and stole gadgets together with a laptop computer.
The proprietor acquired a message asking for him to ship £37 to a checking account and realised that his laptop computer had been stolen. Ogrodnik was traced through an app that pinged and he was discovered at close by premises in Washington Road, the place stolen property was recovered.
Ogrodnik was on bail when he burgled a ground-floor flat in Lambert Road on November 8 however his actions have been recorded on a digicam cellphone that he stole. Police later discovered him.
Ogrodnik had a "catalogue of dishonesty" offences in Poland, together with six for fraud, two for housebreaking and one for theft between 2009 and 2019. Steven Garth, mitigating, mentioned that Ogrodnik got here to this nation from Poland in early 2020 to search out work and ship cash house to his companion and two youngsters however began taking medication, primarily amphetamine and hashish.
"This took over his life and he was nearly continually in a state of intoxication," mentioned Mr Garth. "He wanted cash to fund his dependancy. By the summer time of 2020, he had developed a severe playing downside.
"The burglaries have been all dedicated to realize cash. They have been all dedicated when he was beneath the affect of medication, barely answerable for himself and when his considering was impaired.
"The blackmail offence was the thought of considered one of his mates. The thought was to get £100 and break up the cash 50-50. Blackmail is clearly a really disagreeable and severe offence and, as with all of his offending, he now bitterly regrets what he did. It has been a sorry chapter on this younger man's life."
Choose John Thackray QC instructed Ogrodnik: "You're a profession legal with severe criminality upon your report. You have been concentrating on homes in the identical space. Some individuals by no means get well from having their houses burgled.
"Blackmail is an unsightly and harsh crime. In reference to considered one of your victims, you threatened to disclose express images. Your offending has had a profound impact upon your victims.
"Sentimental gadgets have been misplaced. One sufferer is struggling to sleep. The sufferer of the blackmail is shaken and frightened. One sufferer has misplaced hours and hours of college work.
"You have been concentrating on homes of a number of occupancy due to their vulnerability. They're weak as a result of it is harder to have ample safety."
Ogrodnik was jailed for six years.
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