Sex chatline teen waits for sentence

THE sentencing of 19-year-old blackmailer Kelz Sutherland, due to take place in Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, has been continued until next month.

Background reports ordered by Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill QC were not available because of a shortage of time.

Sutherland pleaded guilty at the court earlier this month to nine charges of extortion dating from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2009. The men involved, aged between 32 and 65, from all over Britain, handed over a total of 87,700.

Sutherland also admitted attempting to extort 8000 from another man.

Sutherland, who operated from his bedroom in his mother's home in Bath Street, Portobello, spoke to the men on a sex chatline and steered the conversation to under-age sex. He then pretended to be the chatline monitor and told them the content of the chat was illegal, that it had been recorded and would be passed on to the police. He said the recordings could be wiped in return for money.

The sheriff told Sutherland she would have the reports before her at the next hearing.