A man who described himself as Cheshire’s very own Kardashian has been jailed for fraud, theft, and possession of indecent images.
Jack Watkin, 26, formerly of Wilmslow Road, Alderley Edge funded his fantasy Instagram influencer lifestyle by defrauding businesses and individuals to a total value of more than £200,000.
Watkin appeared at Chester Crown Court on 6 October to be sentenced after pleading guilty to eight counts of fraud by false representation and one count of theft.
He was also found guilty of one count of possession of indecent photographs, three counts of making indecent images, one count of possession of extreme pornographic images, one count of possession of a prohibited image of a child, possession of an indecent photograph of a child, and another two more counts of making an indecent image of a child.
He was sentenced to six years in prison.
The court heard how Watkin’s used the lure of designer handbag brand Hermes as a ruse to trick people into giving him the money he needed to afford his extravagant lifestyle.
The sought-after handbags can’t be purchased over the counter. You must be invited to buy a Hermes handbag which makes it a lucrative investment as the resale value can be much higher than the original price.
The victims were told by Watkin’s that he had the contacts that could give them access to the handbags and that they could split the profits made on resale. They handed over their money in good faith, but when no bag or sign of any money from the investment opportunity arose, they would begin to ask for their money back, but he always had excuses.
He duped one woman into handing over thousands thinking she was investing in the much sought after luxury handbag when she was in fact paying his bills at the Dorchester Hotel in London. She, like the others never received the handbags or their share in the profits of their resale.
The investigation was launched after the woman who inadvertently paid for his luxury hotel bill contacted the Metropolitan Police back in 2022 when she became suspicious of Watkin’s continued excuses.
Detective Constable Gareth Yates, of Cheshire Constabulary Economic Crime Unit said:
“Not only did Watkin’s deceive his victims by befriending them and taking thousands from them, but he was also hiding a depraved secret habit, sickening his victims further after his hideous secret was uncovered when his mobile phones were downloaded by specialist officers.
“Watkin’s deluded himself that he was a successful rich kid influencer, but in reality, he was stealing money from wealthy individuals under the guise of ‘business opportunities’ to fund his expensive habit of fast cars, luxury goods, including Versace crockery, and designer footwear and clothing.
“It was never going to end well, and his downfall was inevitable. Eventually his lies caught up with him and he is now facing the consequences of his deceit, and his perversions.
“Whether his other victims come forward with their losses, only time will tell.”
