Heiress Haley Meijer 2 Million blackmail Man jailed

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15 Nov 2020

A man has been jailed for 12 years after trying to blackmail US heiress Haley Meijer out of 2m 3 1m James Casbolt from St Ives in Cornwall previously admitted blackmail and stalking the hypermarket heiress as well as harassing two other women Casbolt 38 the former husband of Miss Meijer repeatedly posted images of her online and demanded cash At Truro Crown Court the judge said Casbolt had depraved and distorted values and an evil motive The court heard Casbolt became friends with Miss Meijer on Facebook and they met in person in May 2010 They married in September 2011 and moved to Michigan in the US where Casbolt joined the US Army When he was posted to an army base in Texas he asked Miss Meijer for sexually explicit photographs and videos which she reluctantly gave him But when the couple split in June 2013 Casbolt posted explicit images of her on Facebook and on a website and demanded millions of dollars He also made unrelenting threats towards Miss Meijer and her relatives the court heard Judge Christopher Harvey Clark told Casbolt I regard you as a dangerous man who is capable of using modern means of communication in a sinister and destructive way 'Terrified and humiliated' The judge said The circumstances of this offence reveal a highly intelligent and calculating criminal mind Your motives were to put it bluntly evil He said Casbolt's actions intimidated terrified and humiliated Miss Meijer and his mind was obsessed with peculiar and distorted conspiracy theories To adapt the celebrated phrase used about Lord Byron you were not mad but you were bad and very dangerous to know for these women unfortunate enough to encounter you the judge said The court heard Casbolt also harassed Simone Everett and surfing champion Anastassia 'Tassy' Swallow when back in St Ives He was sentenced to five years for blackmail and a further four years with one year on licence for stalking Miss Meijer He was given a further three years for harassing Ms Everett and one year concurrent for harassing Ms Swallow making a total of 12 years Posting on Facebook Ms Swallow warned that you never know who's about and what might be acceptable in their heads She added her thoughts are with the US family Bet they're heaps relieved after today's hearing I know I am