A 24-year-old man from Central Zealand is facing charges in a comprehensive case involving the extortion of several men over a period of more than two years. The accused allegedly posed as a minor through sexual flirtation, claiming to be either a 14-year-old boy or girl, and threatened his victims with the release of compromising information unless they paid him. The charges encompass 20 instances of fraud, defamation, and extortion.

According to the indictment, the 24-year-old demanded a total of approximately 50,000 Danish kroner (around 7,000 USD) from 17 victims. The legal proceedings against him are set to commence next week at the Roskilde City Court (Roskilde byret). The threatened victims typically met the accused at locations such as the parking lot at Blegdammen in Roskilde and train stations in Valby and Roskilde, where they were confronted with demands for money instead of the expected date with a minor.

The threats made by the accused were serious; in one instance, he sent defaming emails to a victim’s workplace, alleging pedophilia. One of the victims was even threatened with having his car damaged, and with the release of video recordings of the confrontation on social media if payment was not made.

In August 2022, the accused collaborated with a 22-year-old accomplice, who filmed one of the extortion encounters and received money via MobilePay, a popular mobile payment service in Denmark. The accomplice is also facing charges for aiding in extortion, as well as money laundering and receiving stolen goods.

The trial, which will be conducted as a jury case, suggests that the accused do not intend to plead guilty.