The crime is deceptively simple, typically involving the intended victim being approached through social media by an ostensibly attractive young woman who entices into engaging in explicit conversation culminating in a sex act.

As soon as the act has been caught on camera the victim receives a demand for cash, ranging typically from £50 to £500, with the treat the recorded film will be sent to all their friends and contacts – downloaded while the victim was online – and broadcast across the internet.

Behind the young woman used to enticing the victim on-screen will lie an organised crime gang, sometimes operating in the UK but frequently based overseas, targeting hundreds of other victims at a time.