Two face gay sex tape blackmail charges

UK: Two men tried to blackmail a member of the British royal family with an audio recording featuring claims he had performed a gay sex act on an employee, the Old Bailey has been told.

Ian Strachan (31) and Sean McGuigan (41) tried to blackmail the royal, who cannot be identified, for £50,000 (€62,100) after failing to sell the story to a number of national newspapers, prosecutors said yesterday.

Both deny making an unwarranted demand with menaces.

The recordings at the centre of the claims contained material from a man employed in the royal household which, if ever published, would have the potential to "cause embarrassment and hurt to his employer", said prosecutor Mark Ellison.

The recordings also contained "scandalous and disparaging remarks" about other royals, the jury was told. - (Reuters)

© 2008 The Irish Times

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