Trial of Mansfield football boss accused of blackmailing woman with sexual photographs set to take place later this year

Lewis Saxby, former manager of Rainworth FC, appeared before Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, March 1, after an earlier hearing had to be adjourned due to technical difficulties.

Saxby appeared briefly before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 20, where the case was deemed so serious that it was sent to Nottingham Crown Court to be dealt with.

It is alleged that between July 2019 and January 2020, Saxby, of Lymington Road, Mansfield, blackmailed the woman by threatening to publish intimate photographs of her unless she gave him money.

It is also alleged that between December 2016 and January 2021, Saxby defrauded the woman out of more than £89,000, claiming he needed the money to fight an unfair dismissal claim, court records show.

It is separately alleged that, between July 1 and July 31, 2019, he took video footage of the same woman engaging in sexual activity with him without her permission.

It is further alleged that, between May 2018 and March 2019, Saxby tried to blackmail another woman, and demanded sexual photographs from a third woman “with menaces” between May 1 and 31, 2019.

In further charges, it is alleged that between February 2016 and May 2017, Saxby engaged in controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship - threatening a fourth woman that he would distribute intimate images of her and bombarding her with messages. He is also accused of taking sexual photographs of the woman while she was under the age of 18, records show.

Saxby also faces one count of voyeurism, from July 2019, and two further counts of blackmail - one between May 2019 and March 2019, and the other from May 2019.

The 31-year-old denies all charges, and a trial date has been set for November 29.

Judge Stuart Rafferty QC released Saxby on conditional bail.

Saxby resigned as manager of Rainworth FC in June 2020, citing personal reasons in a statement to fans.

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