History: Blackmailers in the London of 1601-1800 threatened to publicly accuse men of being GAY dailymail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Edward Walpole, the son of prime minister Robert Walpole, was accused of sodomy by a gang.
Bands of extortioners targeted men – including the son of a prime minister – and extorted them for cash in the 17th and 18th centuries, researchers have discovered.
Middlesex University London found that there was a “trend” of gangs of three to five people who prowled London’s cruising spots, coercing men into compromising positions before giving them an ultimatum: Pay us money, or we turn you in.
The threat was made all the more terrifying by the punishment the victims might meet if they declined – the death sentence for homosexuality.