THOMAS MARTIN FROM ANDOVER SENTENCED FOR ONLINE BLACKMAIL AND INDECENT IMAGE EXCHANGE

In October 2021, authorities revealed the identity of Thomas Martin, a man from Launcelot Court in Andover, who engaged in a disturbing pattern of online blackmail involving school-aged girls. Police released his custody image as part of their efforts to highlight the severity of his crimes.

Thomas Martin was sentenced to two years in prison on October 15 at Winchester Crown Court. The court heard how Martin had established a Snapchat profile with the intent of targeting young girls, specifically asking them to send him indecent images. His manipulative tactics involved not only requesting explicit photos but also coercing the victims into sending more by threatening to publicly share the images if they refused.

Prosecutor Russell Pyne detailed the heinous nature of Martin’s actions, revealing that he had sent explicit images of his own genitals and had made some victims watch him masturbate. These actions added a deeply disturbing layer to his predatory behavior. Mr. Pyne explained that one of the victims had begged Martin to delete the images he had obtained, to which he responded with a refusal and a threat to post the images on four social media platforms—Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—thereby exposing her to potential humiliation and distress.

Another girl, who threatened to report Martin to the police, was met with further intimidation. Martin warned her that he would ruin her life more than she could ruin his. In a further act of cruelty, he sent an indecent image of her to her friend, exacerbating the trauma inflicted upon the victims.

Thomas Martin had previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of blackmail committed between May 1 and October 21, 2019. These charges involved the disclosure of private sexual photographs with the intent to cause distress, as well as three counts of making indecent photographs of a child. His criminal conduct demonstrated a pattern of exploitation and manipulation aimed at vulnerable young girls.

As part of his sentence, Martin was also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order, which will remain in effect until October 2026. This order is designed to prevent him from engaging in similar conduct in the future and to protect the community from further harm.