In the 18th century bands of extortioners targeted men – including the son of a prime minister – and extorted them for cash in the 17th and 18th centuries, researchers have discovered.
![Portrait of Sir Edward Walpole, Kt, 18th century. Sir Edward Walpole (1706-1784) was a British politician, and a younger son of Sir Robert Walpole, Prime Minister from 1721 to 1742. From The Connoisseur Volume XLIII [Otto Limited, London, 1915.] (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)](http://i1.wp.com/milkboys.net/wp-content/uploads/18th-century-gangs.jpg?resize=500%2C300&ssl=1)
Middlesex University London found that there was a “trend” of gangs of three to five people who prowled London’s cruising spots, coercing men into compromising positions before giving them an ultimatum: Pay us money, or we turn you in. The threat was made all the more terrifying by the punishment the victims might meet if they declined – the death sentence for homosexuality.
A paper written by Dr Paul Bleakley and published in the journal Springer Link stated: “Court records suggest a trend of London blackmailers setting out to extort men for money, threatening to charge them with homosexual offences if they did not pay the price demanded.
“In fear of the threat to their reputation or severe punishment, if found guilty, many of the victims reluctantly acceded to the demands of the extortionist. There was greater potential for success when extorting men with a reputation to protect.”