Perth woman jailed for sextortion plot and blackmail

A woman named Connie Furlong has been sentenced to ten months in jail for plotting to lure a man to her home for sex while secretly filming him with the intent to extort money. Furlong, aged 29 and residing in Perth, engaged in online and phone communications with a 39-year-old victim to initiate a sexual relationship. The victim, who has mild learning difficulties, drove to her residence at 10 pm, where they sat and spoke. During this encounter, Furlong, a blackmailer, told the victim she intended to show video footage of him to the police and falsely claimed she was a victim of sexual assault. The victim refused her demands for money, leading Furlong to escalate her threats. She later sent a message demanding only £80, writing, "I like you. You don't have to give me much." The victim, frightened, fled her home after another man confronted him. Furlong later sent threatening messages, warning the victim that she had video footage and was prepared to contact the police, claiming he had forced himself on her and offered her money to stay silent. The victim then took screenshots of the messages and handed them to police, leading to Furlong's arrest. She denied wrongdoing, claiming the victim had edited the messages, and alleged that he forced himself on her and offered her £400 to not report her. Furlong pleaded guilty to acting with another person to menace the victim and extort £80 on December 28, 2021. The court was told that her delays in court were due to her failures to appear previously. The sheriff, William Gilchrist, described extortion as a serious offense and confirmed that the custodial threshold had been met. Furlong has been convicted and sentenced accordingly, signaling the severity of her actions.