South Yorkshire PC admits blackmail after posing as 'paedophile hunter'
Marie Thompson pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to blackmail and perverting the course of justice after anonymously demanding £3,500 from a suspect in a child-image investigation
A South Yorkshire police constable has admitted trying to blackmail a man suspected of possessing indecent images of children by posing as a member of a paedophile hunting group.
PC Marie Thompson, 29, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to charges of blackmail and perverting the course of justice, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Thompson, of Andover Street in Sheffield, remains suspended from the force.
Thompson was the lead investigator in the man's case and had arrested and interviewed him in October 2022, according to the CPS. In January 2023, the man received an anonymous email claiming to be from a group called "Paedophile Hunters" that demanded £3,500 and provided a bank account number and sort code for payment to "ensure that information stays between us".
After sending the email, prosecutors said, Thompson also sent an anonymous text message to the suspect's partner. The man reported the contact to South Yorkshire Police, and Thompson later recorded that the suspect did not wish to pursue a complaint, the CPS added.
The charges brought against Thompson allege she exploited her position on the investigation to extract money from a suspect in the case. Blackmail and perverting the course of justice are criminal offences that can carry significant penalties.
South Yorkshire Police and the CPS provided the timeline and details of the alleged conduct in court papers. The case highlights internal wrongdoing by an officer assigned to a sensitive investigation into alleged child sexual images.
No further details about sentencing or any additional disciplinary action were released at the time of the hearing. The force previously suspended Thompson pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
The matter will return to court as required under normal criminal process for the next steps, including any sentencing hearing. Authorities have not released further comment beyond the information supplied to the court and by the Crown Prosecution Service.