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Drag Queen Dodges Jail Time After Blackmailing Man on Grindr

Timothy John Ruge claimed he was on a "crusade" to expose cheaters.

An Australian drag queen and escort who threatened to out a man he met on Grindr to his fiancée has narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

Timothy John Ruge, 35, who performed in drag as Summar Clearance, pleaded guilty to blackmail after forcing his unnamed victim to pay $200 in exchange for his silence.

The Melbourne man, threatening to text screenshots of their intimate chat history on the gay networking app to the victim's future bride, later demanded an additional $1,300.

Ruge was ordered Friday by Victorian County Court judge Lisa Hannan to serve 220 hours of unpaid community work. He was also placed on a 24-month community corrections order.

Before demanding the money last March, Ruge sent his victim a picture of his fiancée, writing, "she's pretty you cheating bastard." The victim finally went to police after Ruge texted again, threatening to "take your girl, make her mine."

Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

Ruge, who was homeless and using drugs at the time of the crime, was apprehended and arrested two months later.

Ruge initially argued that he was a "warrior" on a "crusade" to expose cheaters and lower Australia's divorce rate. He also claimed to have "a heart of gold," admitting the blackmail "was not one of my finest moments."

"You are properly described as at times exhibiting aggressive, at times threatening, and at other times taunting behavior," Judge Hannan said in court, slamming Ruge's "perceived moral high ground" and noting that he lacked remorse while being interviewed by police. "In my view it's clear that your motivation was money and you saw a soft target, that is, a man who wished to keep his sexual preferences and activities confidential."

"You were very close to finding yourself in jail today," Hannah continued, acknowledging that prison could put him at risk due to his depression and likelihood of being targeted in custody. "You breach this order and it's like holding your hand up and saying 'send me to jail.'"

"I like to think from my pain there's a positive to gain," Ruge posted this week on Facebook. "I believe others will learn and grow without making the same mistakes I've made their own."

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