Man who blackmailed a married man he met on Grindr has been told to prepare for prison
Timothy Ruge threatened to expose the married Grindr user if he did not hand over 1,300 Australian dollars
By Steve Brown
A man who blackmailed a married man he met on Grindr and threatened to ‘out’ him has been told to prepare for prison.
Timothy Ruge reportedly threatened to expose the unnamed Grindr user last year and after the threat, he demanded to meet the man at a local train station to hand over the money, the Daily Mail reported.
He is believed to have asked for 1,300 Australian dollars – the equivalent to more than £700 – in exchange for not outing the victim as being gay.
CCTV footages shows the former drag queen at the Southern Cross train station where he told his victim to meet him.
And now, Ruge appeared at Victorian County Court in Melbourne this week and pleaded guilty to making an unwarranted demand for money with menace.
Judge Hannan rejected claims Ruge’s lawyer made suggesting Ruge was trying to do the right thing but exposing cheaters and ‘paint himself as the moral guardian’.
Ruge is set to be sentenced on Friday (March 22) and has been told to prepare for prison.
Crimes of extortion can receive a punishment of up to 15 years in jail.