A prisoner in a Sheppey jail has been charged with a £3,000 blackmail attempt after allegedly hacking into a computer and locking its files.

In October last year a victim from the Merseyside area complained that he had been asked to pay £3,000 to regain control of his computer files.

Police believe the inmate illegally accessed "private photographs" online.

Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate launched an investigation after inquiries linked the alleged offences to a prisoner at HMP Standford Hill at Eastchurch.

Lee Hemans, 39, has now been charged with blackmail, three offences under the Computer Misuse Act and five counts of possessing prohibited items inside a prison, namely mobile phones, SIM cards and a Wi-Fi dongle.

He will appear in court at a later date.

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