A mainland man was arrested on Monday for beating, taking nude photos and videos of his girlfriend and blackmailing her out of HK$170,000, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Choi Ian Fai said at a regular press conference yesterday.
The 30-year-old man surnamed Zheng told the police that he works as an engineer.
According to Choi, a 30-year-old local businesswoman reported to the police on Saturday that her boyfriend – Zheng – took nude photos and videos of her and blackmailed her twice. The victim told the police that she got to know Zheng in December 2018 through a smartphone app, and they became lovers last year. As Zheng was unable to visit Macau often, both had been meeting frequently at hotels in Zhuhai.
Choi said when the duo met in a hotel guest room in Gongbei on March 23, they quarrelled about their relationship. Zheng slapped the victim and left the hotel.
Zheng called the victim the following day, to sweet-talk her into meeting him at another hotel for sex. During the encounter, Zheng took nude photos and videos of the victim. Afterwards, he checked the victim’s bank account on her smartphone and discovered the victim had HK$70,000 in her account. He then told her give him the money otherwise he would release her nude photos and videos on apps. The victim withdrew the HK$70,000 from her account when she returned to Macau and gave the money to Zheng in Zhuhai.
According to Choi, on April 7 Zheng once again sweet-talked the victim into renting a flat in Zhuhai so that it was easier to have their trysts. Zheng again blackmailed the victim, this time out of HK$100,000, when they met at the flat last Monday. The victim withdrew HK$100,000 from her account when she returned to Macau last Monday and took the cash to Zheng in Zhuhai.
Choi said the two quarrelled again last Saturday, and the victim once more tried to break up but Zheng once again tried to blackmail her. The victim finally decided to report the case to the police when she returned to Macau. PJ officers identified Zheng and arrested him when he entered the Barrier Gate checkpoint on Monday evening. The officers found the victim’s nude photos and videos on Zheng’s smartphone. Zheng admitted taking nude photos and videos of the victim but denied blackmailing her, claiming that he had only “borrowed” HK$70,000 from her. However, based on the victim’s withdrawal records and statement the Judiciary Police believe that Zheng committed the crimes.
Zheng was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Tuesday, facing charges of causing bodily harm, blackmail and illegal recording of photos and videos, according to Choi.
