The flamboyant cosmetic surgery fan has been convicted of blackmailing two men. One victim said he was terrified by what might happen if the defendant posted his photos on Facebook
A wannabe reality TV star who looks like a real-life ‘Ken doll’ blackmailed two men by making sextortion demands for cash.
Cosmetic surgery fan, Jimmy Featherstone, threatened to ruin the men’s lives and made sinister threats, a court heard. Featherstone, nicknamed ‘Hull’s Ken doll’ because of his love of fake tanning has previously appeared on the TV programme Hooked On The Look, which featured the world of cosmetic surgery and ITV’s This Morning, alongside Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, where he discussed his use of tanning injections.
Hull Crown Court heard the first victim, who had a long-term girlfriend and a young daughter, joined an online dating site. He spotted a profile picture “displaying a bottom” and exchanged messages but he later realised that he was talking not to a woman but to a man, said prosecutor Jennifer Gatland.
He carried on exchanging messages and sent two pictures, one of his face and the other of his genitals. The man received a message calling him by his name and telling him that the person recognised him, reports HullLive. The person – Featherstone – demanded money, knew that he had a girlfriend and threatened to send pictures to his friends and family and distribute them over Facebook. Featherstone told him to pay £70 and “it would all be over” and he sent his bank details. The man realised that the person was Featherstone and sent £70. He asked whether this would be the end of it.
Featherstone asked for another £40 and this “would be the end of it”. The man sent £40 but woke up to a Facebook message demanding £80 or he would distribute the pictures. The man received more Facebook messages asking for more money. He sent another £60 and £40, making a total of £210.
In January of this year, the second man received a message from a mobile phone number linked to Featherstone, saying that he “can travel today if you are wanting fun”. The message said that the person – Featherstone – had got a picture of him and the victim was told: “You won’t mess me around. You owe me £80. Think I give a f***. I will just message your lass if I don’t get it.”
He then phoned the victim several times and the man received a PayPal request for £50 with a link. The man did not know Featherstone but he had been using the Grindr app. No money changed hands with Featherstone. Featherstone, 25, from Hull, admitted blackmailing one man by making an unwarranted demand for money with menaces and, while he was on bail for that offence, blackmailing the second man.
The first man said: “I felt really angry towards Featherstone over the blackmail. He has taken advantage and demanded money, which is a really low thing to do. He has contacted my partner. She is now scared to answer the phone and leave the house.”
The second man was really worried about the impact of the blackmail on his job. Rachel Scott, mitigating, said the defendant made poor decisions. He had been given “great opportunities” with offers of reality TV and social media deals but he had “derailed” any opportunities presented to him.
“He ended up all over the national news,” said Miss Scott. “He was in all the national newspapers.” Featherstone was taking the first steps to getting his drinking under control. Judge Tahir Khan KC told Featherstone: “You behaved very badly in blackmailing the victims. Rather than send you into custody, the most constructive way of dealing with you is by way of punishment within the community.”
Featherstone was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence, six months’ drug rehabilitation and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He was given a three-year restraining order relating to the first blackmail victim.
