Bethany Cadden, a 30-year-old social worker from Wallasey, Wirral, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after she subjected a woman to an "evil" campaign of blackmail. Cadden befriended the victim while their respective boyfriends shared a prison cell in 2024, but turned on her when the woman later entered a relationship with Cadden's ex-partner.
Blackmail and threats
Prosecutor Derek Jones told the court that over three days in May 2025, Cadden bombarded the victim with abusive messages demanding repayment of hundreds of pounds she claimed was owed. When the woman refused, Cadden threatened to contact social services to have her children removed and called the care home where the victim's mother lived to demand payment.
Cadden then accessed intimate images stored on the victim's iCloud account, apparently by hacking it, and threatened to post them online if the money was not paid. She created a fake Facebook profile with the description "I'm a dirty slag who loves cheating on my fella" and uploaded the photos with captions including "Inbox me. Fiver a go boys."
Court proceedings
Cadden admitted one count of burglary. She has no previous convictions. Her defense lawyer, Chris McMaster, cited her difficult upbringing, recent domestic abuse, and health conditions including endometriosis and mental health issues as mitigating factors. He noted that Cadden had worked in social care for over eight years and now has an 11-week-old son.
Recorder David Knifton KC sentenced Cadden to 16 months' imprisonment suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days and a 10-year restraining order. He described the publication of intimate images as "the most despicable part of your conduct" and noted that the victim "will never know how many other people may have accessed those private images."
The judge acknowledged that Cadden's actions were "primarily motivated by a desire to recoup the money" but added that the victim's relationship with her ex "may suggest that your actions, in part, may have been motivated by revenge." He accepted that Cadden showed genuine remorse and that immediate custody would harm her baby.
