Soldier paid colleagues £400 for nudes then blackmailed them to get money back
A soldier was dismissed from the British Army after paying female colleagues for X-rated photos and videos before blackmailing them to get his money back.
Private Thomas Davies offered to pay the two women up to £400 for the intimate content.
A military court heard the ‘mean’ squaddie, from the 3 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, treated his victims like ‘prey’ and threatened to expose them to family members.
The exchange between the 22-year-old and his colleagues began as ‘genuine business transactions’ but Davies quickly showed his real intentions.
Demanding his money back, he sent one of the women’s aunts a screenshot from a topless video she had made of her giving oral sex to her boyfriend.
According to a victim impact statement, this left her in fear of how her family would view her.
‘I feel less trustworthy of people,’she said. ‘Screenshots of the video were sent to a family member of me topless.’
Major James Eveleigh, prosecuting, told the court the woman – who has since left the army – first sent Davies photos on Snapchat, before agreeing to send the sex tape of her and her partner for £400.
‘[The first female soldier] consensually shared intimate personal images with a Snapchat user [Davies], for which she was paid £125,’ he said.
‘She later shared a sex tape for £400. When she did not receive payment she challenged that Snapchat user.
‘[Pte Davies] demanded she return all the money [paid to her] or he would share the images and video on social media and with her aunt.
‘She paid £70 by bank transfer. Despite this, her aunt later received an image of her in a state of undress.’
The court martial also heard that as part of his blackmail, Davies sent a video of himself scrolling through the first victim’s Facebook friends list, saying she had two minutes to send the money.
The soldier also approached a second colleague for images of her in her underwear.
She later agreed to be paid £60 for a video call whilst she was wearing a bikini.
Unbeknown to her, he screen-recorded the call and threatened to share it online unless he got his money.
In her impact statement, the second victim said she no longer felt comfortable using social media and avoids talking to people online as a result.
Kellie Enever, defending, stressed both women had agreed to take photos of themselves and sell them for a fee.
She added: ‘The two complainants in this case entered into a genuine business transaction.
‘This was consensual between all parties. It took a turn when Davies decided he could not afford to pay this money.
‘In terms of one of the complainants and the video, that is perhaps the most serious matter of the offences.
‘She agreed to send a video of herself giving her boyfriend oral sex in exchange for £400. [Davies] refused to pay that money.
‘As a (young person) who grew up in a generation of people who seem to put their entire lives on social media, [Davies] didn’t think there was anything wrong [with what he did].
‘That perhaps gives you an insight into his mind and his maturity – or lack of.’
Assistant judge advocate general Darren Reed told Davies the ‘nasty’ blackmail warranted the disgraced soldier’s dismissal, but stopped short of jailing him.
He added his behaviour ‘corroded’ the bonds of trust between service personnel.
‘These women appeared to be a commodity [to you],’ Judge Reed said.
‘You appeared to have treated them without any care for their integrity or security.
‘You may have taken some time looking for their social media profiles before targeting them.
‘These were mean and nasty offences committed against two fellow soldiers who were deliberately targeted.
‘You clearly intended to maximise threat and humiliation.’
Davies was kicked out of the armed forces and handed an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
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