Four people were on Wednesday charged with their involvement in extortion and threats over secret sexual encounters. 

Police allege that the four demanded money from their young victim every month for years, threatening to expose him if he did not pay up. 

The police told Magistrate Josette Demicoli that the extortion and threats had been going on since the first sexual encounters between the male victim and one of the defendants in 2018. 

The accused are Theresa Agius, 55, from Santa Venera who works in a supermarket, Simon Leyton Rachid, 20, also from Santa Venera and Kersten Camilleri, also 20, currently residing at the Corradino Correctional Facility. The fourth person, a single mother from Valletta, cannot be named by court order in the best interest of her three minor children. 

Police Inspector Lydon Zammit explained how the police began investigating the case on December 3 when the victim reported that he had his jacket stolen while he was at Rachid's house in Santa Venera. He also claimed that he had been tied to a chair with electricity wire.

The jacket contained his mobile and cash. 

The police said that the theft took place when the two met for casual sex,  as they had done since October 2018, when they first met for sex. Rachid was still 17 at the time. 

The court heard how the accused began threatening to report the victim to the police even though what he had done was not illegal since the age of consent had already been lowered to 16 at the time. 

All four allegedly threatened the victim, demanding monthly payments from him. The victim was paying them €150 a month although there were times when they demanded more and he paid up. 

Inspector Zammit said the demands for money increased towards the end of the month when they knew the victim received his salary.

He said the victim continued paying them because he was scared of them and was also scared that they would tell his family and colleagues at office about the casual sexual encounters. 

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi requested a ban on the publication of his client's name, given that she is a single mother of three and the publication of her name could cause trouble for them. The court upheld this request.

The magistrate also upheld a request for bail for three of the accused, except the defendant who is currently in jail. She also issued a protection order in favour of the victim. 

Bail was granted despite the objections of the prosecution who insisted that the victim should testify on the case. He said that the others, except the one whose name was banned, had drug problems and all were relapsers.

Camilleri also breached a protection order in favour of the same victim when he called him from jail, the inspector claimed.

Rachid was only granted bail 15 days ago over a different case and he failed to sign the bail book on the day of the theft just week. The inspector said the police could not find Agius, even though she knew she was wanted by the police. She then finally turned up at the police headquarters on her own accord.

Magistrate Demicoli imposed a number of bail conditions,  including times when they had to be at home and were ordered not speak to the victim. 

Rachid must sign the bail book daily, must pay a deposit of €500 and a personal guarantee of €11,000.

Agius must sign the bail book three times a week, must pay a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €9,000.

The accused whose name was banned was granted bail against a personal guarantee of €9,000 and was ordered to sign the bail book three times a week. 

Police Inspectors Stephen Gulia and Roderick Attard also prosecuted. 

Lawyer Franco Debono appeared for Rachid, lawyer Arthur Azzopardi represented Agius and the accused who had her name banned from publication while lawyer Mario Mifsud was defence counsel to Camilleri.