A former Free Church of Scotland Minister created a fake social media profile in a bid to blackmail a young woman into sending him explicit images.
David Finlay Macdonald, from Stornoway, pretended to be a female named “Eilidh” and threatened to disclose sensitive information about his victim if she did not send him intimate images of herself.
The 29-year-old used the fake online persona to communicate with the woman between January and December 2010.
‘This prosecution should serve as a warning to others’
He pled guilty to one charge of attempted extortion at Stornoway Sheriff Court in November and has now been sentenced to 180 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £750 compensation.
Procurator Fiscal for Grampian, Highland and Islands Andy Shanks said: “David Macdonald’s deliberate and persistent deceit caused his victim great distress.
“This prosecution should serve as a warning to others that we take crimes of this nature seriously.
“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of similar offending to come forward and seek support.”
