By Jonny Tickle

August 16, 2021

-RT

 

A Russian conman has been sentenced to five years in prison on fraud charges after convincing a 24-year-old woman to send him almost a million rubles ($13,600) in return for a future marriage and a lucrative career in pornography.

According to the authorities, a man from Siberia’s Kuzbass Region, 3,000km east of Moscow, posted an online advertisement looking for women to work in the adult film industry. In May 2019, the victim responded.

“The defendant promised her employment, and for six months, he persuaded her to transfer money to his account,” the Interior Ministry explained. “The defendant promised her a large income, promising to marry her, and using various other excuses.”

Over a period of time, she made 127 bank transfers totaling 995,000 rubles ($13,550), having borrowed money from a friend and taken out a loan. After realizing that it was a fraud, the girl went to the police.

The conman pleaded guilty and was sentenced by the court to five years’ imprisonment. He also paid the victim 10,000 rubles ($136) in compensation.

The consumption of pornography is not illegal in Russia, but the “production, dissemination and advertisement” of adult content is.

In 2015, after the country’s authorities blocked a number of pornography sites, Russian media regulator Roscomnadzor made headlines after telling one Twitter user that she should “find someone in real life” as an alternative to popular adult film site PornHub.

c. RT