Welcome back to Crime Watch Northern Beaches, a weekly wrap up of local crimes and incidents from the Northern Beaches Police Area Command. If you saw or can help with any of the below incidents, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or here. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. You can also contact Dee Why Police Station 9971 3399.
Sextortion and Image Based Abuse
Newport, 28 October 2024
A Newport man received an email from an unknown source that claimed to have accessed the victim’s webcam and internet history. The source said they had footage of the victim masturbating while watching pornographic movies. None of this was true.
The source blackmailed the victim and demanded US$2000 to be sent to a Bitcoin account, otherwise they would release the web history to the victim’s contacts. The victim did not send money and reported the incident to police and the E Safety Commissioner.
Police have received several similar reports recently and circulate the story as a cautionary tale for the community to be wary caution. Do not send money and do not open suspicious links in mobile phones or emails.
Sexual extortion or sextortion is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate, personal images of you online unless their demands are met. These demands are typically for money, more intimate images, or sexual favours.
The image does not need to be a pornographic to be intimate and private. An intimate image means an image of a person’s private parts or of a person engaged in a private act where a reasonable person would expect to be afforded privacy. These private acts include undressing, showering, bathing or using the toilet, engaging in a sexual act or any other similar activity.
You can help police investigate image based abuse by:
- Saving text messages, voicemail messages, photos.
- Use screenshots and save the image with the date and time it was taken (include the URL in the screenshot where possible).
- Keep a diary or voice notes of incidents, including dates and times.
- Consider giving police permission to access your phone, computer, Facebook, email account, etc.
- Do not pay or send any more images or videos yourself.
- Stop all contact with the blackmailer.
- Notify the relevant social media platform.
- Secure your accounts. Change the passwords for your social media and online accounts and review the privacy and security settings of your accounts.
- Do not panic, reach out instead, get support from a trusted friend or family member or from an expert counselling and support service if you are feeling anxious or stressed.
Arrests
Assault, Manly, 27 October 2024
A heated argument broke out between two men at The Steyne hotel, which escalated when one man punched the other in the nose, causing it to bleed. Security staff removed the man from the premises, but he fled the scene.
Police, who were on patrol nearby, pursued and apprehended him. Police arrested and charged the 37-year-old Manly local with Assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He has been granted conditional bail and is set to appear at Manly local court on the 13 November 2024.
Stolen motorcycle, Manly, 31 October 2024
At around 3:00am on the 31 October 2024, police were patrolling in Manly when they observed two men on a motorcycle without helmets. The motorcycle sped away from the police and was engaged in a short pursuit, which ended when the rider crashed into a curb at East Esplanade, Manly.
One of the men ran off and was chased and caught by police. The man struggled violently and punched, kicked and gouged the arresting officer’s eye. As a result, the 29-year-old Cremorne man was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital for treatment and released the following day and charged with Take and drive conveyance without consent of owner and Assault police.
He was refused bail by police and will appear at Manly local court on 1 November 2024.
The second offender got away. The arresting officers were not seriously injured.
Manly Observer reported this in more detail here.
Appeal for Information
Stolen Jaguar, Newport, 28 October 2024
About 2:30am on 20 October 2024, a Newport resident was woken by a thief he saw climbing out of his window. Several offenders stole a Jaguar E Pace SUV from the home and drove off. The victim immediately contacted police, who patrolled strategic locations and spotted the Jaguar travelling in a convoy with another vehicle at Frenchs Forest.
Police pursued the Jaguar but terminated the pursuit after the car reached excessive and dangerous speeds. The Jaguar was located later that night outside a Riverwood home. The vehicle was towed to a police holding yard, where it will undergo forensic examination.
No one was hurt or injured. Police are appealing for information about this incident.
Lock it or lose it. Prevent vehicle and property theft.
- Eight out of 10 homes are entered by car thieves via unlocked doors or windows.
- Right now, 50 per cent of vehicles that are stolen are left unlocked with a remote to the garage inside.
- 70 per cent of thieves enter homes while victims sleep upstairs.
- If your wallet is stolen, thieves can use your cash and your identity.
- Don’t give thieves access to your car or your home. When at home, lock your doors and windows, do not leave keys, wallets or other valuables visible from outside your home or near entrances.
