Woman faked kidnap and rape in bid to extort cash from man she met online
A young woman feigned her own kidnapping and rape in a bid to extort money from a man she met online. She demanded £200 via Snapchat messages after alleging she had been held captive and sexually assaulted.
A court heard that Elisa Timbers, 21, even fabricated videos purporting to show herself as a hostage. The care assistant was eventually found safe and well at her home during a police welfare check.
Initially, she claimed her Snapchat account had been hacked but later confessed to sending the messages, stating she had been coerced into it. Timbers, from Norwich, Norfolk, admitted to fraud by false representation between June 26 and 29 last year at Norwich Magistrates' Court on October 1.
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Prosecutor Asif Akram said Timbers had started exchanging messages over Snapchat after meeting someone online. However, days later, the victim contacted the police after receiving threatening messages with lurid and disturbing claims.
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Timbers alleged she was being abused by a man named ‘Chris’ and demanded he send her money. Mr Akram stated: "She had control of the Snapchat accounts at the time."
Emma Lloyd, defending, said while her actions were "unflattering to say the least", Timbers had been "young and highly vulnerable".
She added that Timbers was "in fear" of another man she had met online who was the driving force behind her attempted extortion.
Ms Lloyd further stated: "She had begun talking to a man called ‘Chris’ but this became more and more unpleasant. He was telling her what to say and how to say it."
"There was no cash sent but if it had been she would never have seen any of it."
The magistrates have requested reports before her sentencing on November 23, informing Timbers that all options are being considered.