Man charged over gay website blackmail claims

Gardaí charged a man yesterday with demanding thousands of euro with menaces arising out of an investigation into alleged blackmailing of men using a gay dating website.

Neil Duggan, aged 45, of Riverside Rise, Rushbrooke, Cobh, Co Cork, was charged following a six-month investigation that a man was blackmailed after he was accused of linking up with a young man on the site only to learn that the teenager was a minor.

Mr Duggan was charged with demanding €2,500 with menaces from the 60-year-old complainant at Spur Hill in Cork on April 11, 2017.

He was also charged with a second count of demanding a further €5,000 with menaces from the same victim at the Topaz Filling Station in Douglas two days later.

Finally, he charged with threatening to kill the same man and with making threats at car park of the Silver Key pub in Ballinlough on April 17, 2017, to damage his house and van in the car park.

Detective Garda Dave Hickey gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution and told Cork District Court that Duggan made no reply to any of the charges when they were put him after caution.

Inspector Vincent O’Sullivan said the DPP had directed trial by indictment and he applied for one month adjournment to allow for the preparation of the book of evidence.

Det Garda Hickey said gardaí had no objection to bail once certain conditions were met including Duggan have no contact directly or indirectly with the injured party.

Mr Duggan’s solicitor, Graham Hyde, said his client was agreeable to the bail conditions and Judge Olann Kelleher remanded him on bond of €400 to appear on March 7.