Royal blackmail

From The Times Online:

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.

I give Prince Harry credit for calling the cops rather than paying or having his security people "take care of" the blackmailers.

Seeing this story so soon after writing a post about the ass-clown, Ron Paul reminded me of something about the Libertarians. They think that blackmail should be legal. As far as they are concerned if you have a piece of information about someone it is your information, that is your property. It is up to you to decide what to do with it. If you want to publicize it or keep it secret that it your business and if you want to give someone the chance to pay you to influence your decision that is just between you and them.