Pair accused of nude-photo blackmail

Judge names one of two women alleged to have demanded $4000 from victim

Two Rotorua women - a midwife and another woman who holds a position of responsibility - have appeared in court accused of blackmailing a man for $4000 with nude photographs of him.

The pair appeared before Justice Rodney Harrison in the High Court at Rotorua on Friday when a name suppression order was lifted for one of them.

The judge said there was no reason for the women's identity to be kept secret.

Rotorua midwife Kaycee Te Aomarama Wall, 29, and and a 39-year-old woman, who cannot be identified, are charged with burglary, intentional damage and blackmail.

The 39-year-old is also charged with unlawfully accessing a website to steal $1000 from the same complainant.

Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face jointly and will stand trial at the end of the year.

They are accused of breaking into the man's house and intentionally damaging bedding and clothing belonging to him on November 3 last year.

It is also alleged that between November 4 and 6, they threatened to expose nude photographs of him if he did not pay them $4000.

Lawyer Bill Lawson, who was representing both women, requested name suppression continue for the 39-year-old as her parents were ill and her job was at risk.

Justice Harrison said these weren't good enough reasons for name suppression to continue and dismissed the application.

The trial is scheduled to begin on December 6 in the High Court at Rotorua, and take three days.

The 39-year-old woman is understood to have been stood down from her job until the charges are resolved.

The two women have been remanded on bail to appear back in the court on June 3 so any pre-trial issues can be resolved.

- APN