An ex-public schoolboy (only in England is this phrase wrapped in stereotype) was trying to blackmail girls to either: (option A) pay £100 into his bank, or (B) have sex with him. Otherwise… (dramatic music), he would put photos of them on Facebook!!! I’m guessing these are compromising photos, rather than said gel with grandma on the beach at Eastbourne in December, “gosh its windy here!!!” Or photos of the now ubiquitous Facebook puppies.

All that’s fine. Guy’s gotta make a living, wants to have sex with girls. All perfectly normal. Blackmail? Well, if you’re skint and all else fails?

What is tragic about this tale is the extent to which it is a crime of our times. In which everything, but EVERYTHING is done on a phone/computer. The real world only exists as a temporary pause between snapchats, facebook and a bunch of streaming sites. And thus the ‘ex-public schoolboy’ (and I’m gonna guess it wasn’t a very good public school, more one that caters to the somewhat more… errr… more dense among the upper-middle classes) perpetrated his crimes over social media. And requested that the hundred quid ‘should go into his bank account by 4.30!!! Or ELSE!!!!)

But its all ‘there’. Everything. Every word, every threat, the money, its all online, all not just traceable but available for anyone who looks at the plonker’s phone. At least with ‘used notes, non-sequential, in a brown paper bag, buried in the third rubbish bin at Euston station’ it had an anonymity about it, cloak and dagger, ‘read this note then eat it’, kind of third partiness that was there to protect innocent criminals. Allowed them the possibility of denial. This is like a mugger on the street offering you ‘contactless payment’ facility and whipping out a card terminal. “NO! Punch me, kick me, but not contactless payments!!!!!” And of course the mugger’s mate is video-ing the whole thing, just in case the police need proper evidence later. You have to video everything or its not really happening. Einstein said that.

Obama’s gone. F’rever. Didn’t hear the speech, everything the man’s done in the last 7.8 years has been a total disappointment to me, wasn’t prepared to stay up til 2am for more of the same. He was the wunderkind when elected, and it went downhill from there. I was immensely proud when Americans voted in a black President. Well, when Democrats voted in a black President. And yet the apparent racism in the police has sky-rocketted, gun crime is still at the most ridiculous level (last week, Fort Lauderdale, eg) and then, the coup de gras, he royally stuffed Israel at the already-testicle-free, anti-semitic UN. Michelle should divorce him and stand next time. Funny how her star brightened as his faded and spluttered.

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx