PC admits attempting to blackmail man over indecent images of children arrest

A police officer has admitted trying to blackmail a man by demanding money to prevent information about his arrest for allegedly possessing indecent images of children being publicised.

PC Marie Thompson, 29, of South Yorkshire Police, was the officer in charge of an investigation into a man suspected of possessing indecent images of children, and she arrested and interviewed the man on 6 October 2022.

The suspect was then released under investigation, pending further examination of his digital devices.

On 17 January 2023, the man received an email from a ProtonMail address demanding £3,500 be paid into a bank account, with an account number and sort code provided. The email purported to be from Paedophile Hunters and stated that the payment would “ensure that information remains between you and us”.

Later the same day, the man’s partner received a text message requesting that a reply was needed by the end of the day. No money was transferred by the man.

The man reported the correspondence to South Yorkshire Police via the force’s 101 service, and PC Thompson told the man she would investigate the matter but falsely endorsed the crime report to say that he did not want to pursue a complaint.

The investigation was closed, and PC Thompson lied again to the man six weeks later saying that the sender of the email and text message could not be traced.

PC Thompson was suspended from South Yorkshire Police in March 2023 for other matters and another officer took over the indecent images of children investigation and was informed about the report of blackmail.

It was discovered that the text had been sent from PC Thompson’s personal mobile phone. Examination of her laptop also showed email fragments which matched the heading of the email demanding money, but the contents of the message and recipient address could not be recovered.

Today at Leeds Crown Court, PC Thompson, who remains suspended from the force, pleaded guilty to blackmail and perverting the course of justice. She will be sentenced at the same court on 30 October 2025. 

The prosecution followed an investigation by South Yorkshire Police’s professional standards department.

Malcolm McHaffie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “PC Marie Thompson tried to abuse her position as the investigating police officer in this case for financial gain.

“To try and turn an investigation of a suspect into a chance to blackmail them out of money is disgraceful, and then to falsify police reports to cover her tracks is reprehensible.

“The fact that blackmail is a serious crime, no matter who the victim is or what they have done, should have been obvious to anyone, especially a police officer.

“Her conduct amounted to a serious abuse of the trust which we rightly have in anyone in public office to perform their duties.

“The CPS will always work hard to prosecute corruption of this nature so that the public can have full confidence in all parts of policing and the criminal justice system.”