FOI 251-2024 / Feb 2024 / Blackmail
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 251-2024
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 27th February 2024 as follows:
Under the Freedom of Information Act, could you provide me with:
- The number of blackmail crimes, in each of the past three financial years (April 1 to March 31 - 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23) and the current financial year to date (April 1 2023 to date), where a webcam has been involved in some way, i.e. where either webcam, web cam, video or social media are mentioned in the summary of the report.
Could you provide a summary of each report, including outcome, and state whether the alleged victim was aged under 16, 16 to 18 or over 18.
- Please could you also provide me with a count of the number of crimes recorded as threatening to/disclosing private images in each of the past three financial years (April 1 to March 31 - 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23) and the current financial year to date (April 1 2023 to date). Again, please provide information about outcomes for these and a breakdown by whether the alleged victim was aged under 16, 16 to 18 or over 18.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below. When reviewing the information please note the following:
- For Q1, searches were conducted for all offences of ‘Blackmail’, recorded between 1st April 2020 and 25th March 2024, where ‘webcam’, ‘web cam’, ‘video’ or ‘social media’ is mentioned in either the Investigation Summary field or the MO Description field.
- For Q2, searches were conducted for all offences of ‘Sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film to cause alarm, distress or humiliation, or for sexual gratification’ and ‘Disclose or threats to disclose private sexual photographs/film with intent to cause distress’, recorded between 1st April 2020 and 25th March 2024. Please note that there are two investigations which do not have a victim role listed, hence why the total victim count is fewer than the total amount of crimes.
It is important to note that, should there be further relevant offences, but where none of the stated keywords are mentioned within the Investigation Summary / MO Description fields, then these would not be captured within the response. For this reason, any information retrieved by way of a keyword search cannot be assumed to be accurate and should be treated with caution.
Q1 response:
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020/21 |
72 |
|
2021/22 |
75 |
|
2022/23 |
71 |
|
2023/24 |
79 |
|
Grand Total |
297 |
|
Outcome Type |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
Type 1A - Charged/Summons - alternate offence. Offender has been charged under the alternate offence rule. |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
20 |
21 |
23 |
27 |
91 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
1 |
6 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
5 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
19 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
42 |
46 |
39 |
36 |
163 |
|
Type AF |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Under Investigation |
|
|
2 |
7 |
9 |
|
Grand Total |
72 |
75 |
71 |
79 |
297 |
|
Victim Age |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
Total |
|
Under 16 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
17 |
|
16 to 18 |
9 |
14 |
16 |
8 |
47 |
|
Over 18 |
61 |
60 |
52 |
60 |
233 |
|
Grand total |
72 |
75 |
71 |
79 |
297 |
Q2 response:
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020/21 |
59 |
|
2021/22 |
64 |
|
2022/23 |
80 |
|
2023/24 |
78 |
|
Grand Total |
281 |
|
Outcome Type |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
9 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
20 |
|
Type 1A - Charged/Summons - alternate offence. Offender has been charged under the alternate offence rule. |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
Type 3A – Caution Adult – Alternate offence |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
11 |
12 |
14 |
10 |
47 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
12 |
8 |
14 |
10 |
44 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
16 |
29 |
35 |
21 |
101 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
9 |
9 |
9 |
13 |
40 |
|
Type 20 - Further action resulting from the crime report will be undertaken by another body or agency subject to the victim (or person acting on their behalf) being made aware of the act to be taken |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Type 21 - Further investigation resulting from crime report which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action against the suspect is not in the public interest - police decision. |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Type 22 - Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, resulting from the crime report, has been undertaken and it is not in the public interest to take any further action |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Under Investigation |
|
|
2 |
19 |
21 |
|
Grand Total |
59 |
64 |
80 |
78 |
281 |
|
Victim Age |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
Total |
|
Under 16 |
1 |
|
9 |
9 |
19 |
|
16 to 18 |
3 |
9 |
7 |
7 |
26 |
|
Over 18 |
55 |
54 |
63 |
62 |
234 |
|
Grand total |
59 |
63 |
79 |
78 |
279 |
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB