Mom Blackmails Friend With Fake Child Abuse Allegation To Pocket $4,000

KEY POINTS

The woman was found guilty of blackmailing her friend for not reporting child abuse
She urged the man to pay her £3,000 for not telling other people about the abuse
An investigation was conducted and police found that the man had done nothing wrong

A 37-year-old British woman was found guilty of blackmailing a longtime friend into paying £3,000 ($4,100) to settle a fabricated child abuse allegation involving her daughter.

The unidentified mother sent the victim a message on social media on Feb. 20, 2019, claiming that the man had sexually assaulted her daughter, the Birmingham Mail reported.

"She informed him that her daughter had made an allegation of sexual abuse about him and that he should pay her £3,000 to avoid others hearing about these allegations or the matter being reported to the police," prosecutor Rachel Pennington was quoted as saying by the outlet.

The woman, who had been friends with the victim for 15 years before they fell out of contact 18 months ago, also allegedly told the man he was sick and disgusting.

"It is now time for you to suffer the consequences of your actions. I have not yet told anyone what was going on... If the money is not paid by April 20 this is going viral, to your dad, your sister and everyone who knows you," the woman’s Facebook message allegedly read.

The money would be used for a "holiday of a lifetime" for the woman's daughter, according to the report.

A police investigation resulted in no action being taken against the man as it was revealed that he had done nothing wrong, but the man was reportedly shocked and distressed after receiving the message.

The woman claimed that she had just left an abusive relationship when her daughter revealed the abuse to her, the court was told.

"It was the most civil way of dealing with the situation and to receive some sort of apology for 10 years of abuse," the woman said.

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court, however, rejected the woman's explanation and found her guilty of blackmail.

"I don't know why you fought this case or what world you live in," Judge Martin Hurst reportedly told the woman after passing the verdict.

"If that message you sent wasn't blackmail, I don't know what is," Hurst added.

The magistrate described the woman's actions as being "extremely odd behavior" and adjourned sentence until Oct. 8 pending a psychiatric report on her.