HSX v Daniel Ryan & Ors

Facts

The claimant, anonymised as HSX, is a New York based businessman. He created a profile on the "Seeking" dating website and received communications purportedly from a 23 year old woman. The exchanges continued on Telegram, he provided photographs of himself, and intimate messages of a sexual nature were exchanged. Within days he was receiving threats from a source who had identified him from his photographs and displayed knowledge of his wife and her sister. The source threatened to disclose the intimate messages and to make false allegations that he had sought sexual relations with a child. Bank account details were supplied and the claimant transferred £39,000 in return for the deletion of the messages. After a week's respite the threats resumed and escalated, with a further £100,000 demanded and disclosure due on Monday 20 July 2026. After an urgent without notice telephone hearing on Saturday 18 July 2026, Farbey J granted an injunction, in an Order dated 20 July 2026 and published on the Judiciary website on 21 July 2026 save for a Confidential Schedule. The defendants are three named individuals and persons unknown identified by an email address, phone numbers, Telegram accounts, the Seeking website and Revolut and Wise bank accounts. The First and Second Defendants had already been named, and the Third Defendant added, in injunction orders made in related proceedings, RXE. The matter came before Fordham J on the Return Date on 28 July 2026, the defendants not appearing.