Dan Wootton trending on Twitter...

[LookItsMeAgain]

I was wondering why this name has been popping up on my "Trending for you"on Twitter over the past while

https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/17/gb-news-star-dan-wootton-unmasked-in-cash-for-sexual-images-catfishing-scandal/

Wow is all I can say.

Just wow!

You've nailed it in one. He’s come out all guns blazing as he has no choice he has lived by the sword and twitter posts suggest there are 12 accusers in the frame.

https://twitter.com/SarahData_/status/1681399599485861888

@SugarRaye - it would not be for me! But if you use a pseudonym, offer a lot of money, people may well think well what's the harm? There are literally people doing this on websites for cash.

But you might think yourself safer with money, a private artangement.

Wootton is gay. These allegations include he targeted straight men at his work place. These allegations contain a lot of calculation to be poor judgment on the part of the person paying. There are separate questions about whether all participants consented to be filmed at all. The motivation here is murky.

Wow! Is he the Meghan markle hater- maybe not.

If it's true, it's awful that he targeted colleagues. Creepy. But why were these people sending him sexual footage. Why do adults do that?

It takes people a long time to adult properly, they kind of pretend adult in a 'fake it till you make it' way for ages, some longer than others < holds hand up > , people are often quite naive in that they genuinely believe other people think the same way as them and wouldn't do bad things to them for personal gain.

Indeed he is, but he's been vile about a number of people.

You're right about the blinking. How weird. He is very weird.

If someone offers you money to send naked photos or videos, then you surely know what risk you run. Surely we're not saying these journalists - working on the news of the world, not Knitting Weekly - including a CEO, we're all naive, uninformed and unformed adults?

There are countless examples of media organisations printing serious falsehoods.

I’m not going to say these allegations aren’t true. They may turn out to be, who knows? But if this is the level of evidence they have after three years of investigation, then it’s pretty thin stuff. If it was The Times or The Guardian I don’t think they’d go to print without better sourcing.

I think the issue is exactly that risk. But of course, you usually know the person. This was s mystery Martin. Someone who perhaps didn't just buy sex tapes but lots of other things.

However, the fact remains that the tape itself may be of no moment. It may well be what happened afterward that is the real issue. That but we don't know yet.

@SugarRaye Dan was what mid/late 20's when he worked at the News of the World ? the other journalists might have been similar ages ? What I meant was that I know I made decisions at that age that I wouldn't make now.

Oh my God, what a dickheaded narcissist. Who watches that channel? 😂

Really? like tricking people into sending you sexually explicit photos? Wow

Byline Times has extensive evidence to show that, between June 2008 and 2018, Wootton – who is gay – posed as a fictitious showbusiness agent called “Martin Branning” to offer sums of up to £30,000 “tax free” to his targets, many of whom were heterosexual men.

Among them are a very senior executive at Rupert Murdoch’s News UK alongside at least six other staff at The Sun newspaper – one with close links to News UK CEO Rebekah Brooks – friends, Facebook associates and users of the dating apps Grindr and Gaydar.

Two of the targets made criminal complaints to Scotland Yard without knowing the real identity of their tormentor with detectives aware of the activities of Branning – whose name is a portmanteau of EastEnders characters Martin Fowler and Max Branning – since 2019.

Our journalists handed a 28-page dossier of evidence to the Metropolitan Police for investigation on 20 June 2023, however last week criminal claims started to emerge on social media, with the posts rapidly attracting more than 18 million views, causing Wootton to trend on Twitter for several days.

This sounds pretty damning. Must nip to Tesco for some popcorn 🍿

Oh my God, what a dickheaded narcissist. Who watches that channel?

A lot less since they scrambled the channel, I used to watch the scary history bloke's monologues, if you are struggling to sleep they are a real aid ! but we can no longer get GBnews on freeview, I suppose we could if I could be arsed to faff about, but given all the proper news channels still available who would bother ?

Of course. We've all made bad decisions. I'm still making them!! But I find it hard to have sympathy with them. When I read the original allegations by his boyfriend, I thought Wootton had filmed these people illegally with secret cameras or something. But no. These men seemed to have sent their photos or videos for money or for return videos of a woman. Bad decisions but they seem to have made them freely even though now they're claiming it felt like blackmail or entrapment. Although we have no explanation for that.
It's rancid and creepy behaviour from Wootton. But, I mean, the others are participating in the same behaviour. Maybe it will all become clearer as Byline reveal parts 2 and 3.

Wootton seems to enjoy berating or humiliating others publicly. Whether that extends to a private life we don't yet know.

Importantly whether these men were idiots or not, should there be blackmail or obtaining favours then they will be protected by law.

Really? like tricking people into sending you sexually explicit photos? Wow

No, but I can imagine people being tricked into sending them.

Me. I still get it on Freeview. Saying that I don't watch the DW programme. He makes me nauseous. Like warm vomit in a dirty sock.🤢🤢🤮

Yes, that's the point. Those are the allegations against him

I really cannot understand how anyone can be tricked into sending sexually explixit pictures to anyone, unless they desperatley needed the money.
I am obviously missing something here.

Jim Waterson's early and careful report

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jul/18/sun-and-mail-publishers-examine-claims-against-journalist-dan-wootton

Whatever the truth of the Max Branning story, at last Wootton has had a taste of his own terrible medicine. To hear him talk about the ordeal his friends and family are going through as a result of these allegations was the most delicious schadenfreude. Horrible hypocrite.

Well, if this isn’t the biggest dose of karma. What a vile, toxic human he’s turned out to be and whether the story is true or not, he’s certainly getting a taste of his own medicine now.

In that clip he doesn't deny any of the allegations. As for people sending him sex tapes for money, while I don't really understand the ins and outs of it - no euphemism intended - I don't think we can assume that they all, or even very many, sent the tapes. We also don't know what he said to them. Was it a simple, send me you doing some sex and I'll send you lots of money, or if there were threats, or something else. The fact that some men went to the police would seem to indicate that there was a bit more to it than a quid pro quo.

As for men making sex tapes, if any did, well they certainly wouldn't have to fear the level of opprobrium that women do, so the decision making would be very different than it would for most of us.

Agreed . Hopefully he'll now understand the damage people like him do . I do agree that twitter is a cesspit though .