英王族、セックスビデオで強請られる

王侯貴族などというやんごとなき方々は
　産めよ、増やせよ
をテーゼとして生きているので、性的な方面のモラルは、下々と異なるし、異なってないと、家系が絶えてしまう。

イギリスで起きた、なんとも分かりにくい事件。
共同より。

英王族　１９世紀以来のスキャンダル
2007.10.28 12:11

　２８日付の英日曜紙サンデー・タイムズは、英王族の性行為場面を撮影したビデオテープを所持していると示唆し５万ポンド（約１１００万円）を脅し取ろうとしたとして、ロンドン警視庁が４０歳と３０歳の男を逮捕、起訴したと報じた。
　同紙によると、裁判所はこの王族の特定につながる報道の差し止め命令を出しており、性別なども明らかにされていない。
　２人は今年８月２日に王族の事務所に電話し、性行為のビデオを公開しない見返りに金を要求。王族が側近にコカインを渡した証拠もあると話したという。
　王族側はビデオの内容を見た後に金を支払うと約束。２人は９月、ロンドン市内のホテルの１室で、王族から通報を受けたロンドン警視庁のおとり捜査員にビデオの一部を見せた後、逮捕された。ビデオも押収された。
　同紙によると、英王族に対する恐喝は即位前の１９世紀後半に売春婦との関係が問題となった国王エドワード７世以来とみられる。（共同）

元記事はこちら。(英文)

October 28, 2007
Royal targeted in sex and drugs blackmail plot

David Leppard
A MEMBER of the royal family has been targeted in an alleged “sex and drugs” blackmail plot being investigated by Scotland Yard.

The royal - who cannot be named for legal reasons - called in the police after being approached by two alleged blackmailers in August.

The men demanded £50,000 not to publicise a video, which they suggested showed the royal engaged in a sex act. The case is understood to be the first time in more than 100 years that a member of the royal family has been the victim of blackmail.

During telephone calls to the royal’s office, the suspected blackmailers also claimed to have evidence suggesting that the royal had supplied an aide with an envelope containing cocaine. They claimed that they had a video tape showing the aide snorting the drug.

After the approach from the two men in August, the royal tipped off Scotland Yard. Detectives then set up an undercover operation to trap the suspects. On September 11, two men were arrested in a police sting at a London hotel. They were seized as they played what they claimed was the sex video in a suite at the Hilton hotel on Park Lane in Mayfair.

The men thought they were showing the film to a member of the royal’s staff. In fact, the man they met was an undercover detective from Scotland Yard’s kidnap and blackmail unit.

The Yard issued a statement yesterday saying: “Two men, a 30-year-old man and a 40-year-old man, appeared at City of Westminster magistrates’ court on September 13, each charged with one count of blackmail.”

Neither the royal nor any of the witnesses in the case can be identified after a judge issued a gagging order.

The alleged extortion attempt began on August 2 when a man telephoned the royal’s office. The caller identified himself only by his first name. He said he was aware that another man who worked on the royal’s staff had in his possession an envelope containing cocaine. The caller suggested the envelope was embossed with the royal’s personal insignia.

The caller then claimed he had a video tape that showed the royal aide giving someone oral sex. He indicated that the person was the royal. The caller asked for the royal to call him and left a mobile phone number.

During subsequent calls, one of the men claimed that the tapes showed a royal aide snorting cocaine. But the caller guaranteed that nobody would ever see them because they were safe in his flat. A Whitehall security official said: “He then said he wanted £50,000 from the royal for the tape.” The source said a senior legal adviser to the royal agreed with one of the men that he would see the tape before handing over the cash.

By this time a detective had been attached to the royal’s staff. He contacted the gang posing as a member of staff and the meeting was arranged at the Hilton. Parts of the video were shown and the meeting was secretly videoed by Scotland Yard detectives in an adjacent room. The two suspects were then arrested.

The official said the video also contained unsubstantiated allegations about other members of the royal family, including the Queen.

The case is the first in modern times that a member of the royal family has been targeted in an alleged blackmail plot. In 1891 the future Edward VII discussed with his solicitor paying off two prostitutes he had visited in return for letters he had written to them. Details emerged only in 2002 when the letters were sold for £8,220 at Bonhams, the auctioneers.

Additional reporting: Anna Mikhailova

なんか"The Sunday Times"の記事の中身が詳細にわたっていて、結構恐いんですが。考えると、さらに、どんどん恐くなりますね。