Aspergers and Blackmail

I'm just very concerned about them. The person above is not who I know, having known them over a year now and shared living accommodation with them to think they are capable of this just doesn't enter my head. 

This all happened years before i knew them, this was a first offence, I think a lot of this type of behaviour from them has been a result of a very poor childhood with no supportive people around until the last few years. They did have an original sentence that was suspended but recently it was over turned and increased. It's awful for them to be going through it (I also arent defending their actions, i just cant imagine the person I met and know could be capable of this). 

Sounds like a very disturbed person. Many autistic people have co-occurring mental health problems and a lot of depression and anxiety, so some people could be quite a mess in terms of mental health. But I am not trying to defend crime.  People on the spectrum are people first and foremost and as with all people you could in theory find all sorts, including some very disturbed or nasty ones. Generally research shows aspies are statistically more often victims rather than perpetrators of crime. 

Whether an individual understands the crime he has committed in his particular circumstances can only be answered specifically about that individual in those circumstances via a due process. Obviously nobody can speak for him here.

There is a campaign going on about the support of autistic people in criminal justice, there was a post here about autistic person admitting guilt without proper support and assessment. I understand there is a problem in the system. I am not really knowledgeable in this area. 

On a personal level I would think there should be a due process in line with the law, so all the rights of the autistic person are protected and justice is done. It is such a complex thing, so the court is supposed to apply the due process and protections fairly. I don't know.

I'm trying to find a way to explain it. 

This person is gay. 

They met a straight person who had a girlfriend. 

Somehow they started being intimate with each other. 

After 3 meetings the straight guy decided that was it no more. 

Meeting 1 - Clearly consensual, why else would a straight guy go meet a gay guy. 

Meeting 2 - Seemed to be more of a want to do it again, I'll tell your girlfriend sort of thing. Videod without straight guy knowing. 

Meeting 3 - Was told about the video and that was used as a way to get him to come back, straight guy came and cried. Gay guy released this and told him to go. 

A few months later in a depressed state over finances, the gay guy with aspergers attempted to blackmail for money. Although in his police interview he stated he was disgusted in himself, wouldn't have gone through with it and seemingly just become obsessed with this person. 

Straight guys girlfriend found out, police involved and it was claimed as sexual assualt and blackmail. He admitted to everything without a solicitor present nor was he assessed as fit to interview by a mental health professional. 

Yikes! OK.

Well, for what it's worth I was recently diagnosed as having ASD and I reckon I'm certainly capable of blackmail but I think I'd only go through with it if I felt it was justified.

For example, my Mum's second husband was an utter sh!t and emotionally and psychologically abused her - if I'd had an opportunity to get revenge for that via blackmail (and I figured I could get away with it) it's possible I'd have done so...

People with ASD are quite capable of understanding the concept of blackmail, just as they are capable of understanding the concept of theft or infidelity... the question is whether they would carry it out and if they did whether they'd do so from the same motivational standpoint as an NT person and if not, whether they should be judged by NT standards...

I'm a bit reluctant to share more content because it's all a bit raw, the person above has recently gone to prison.

You'd probably need to give more context... As Pixiefox says, deliberate blackmail would seem to go against the more usual autistic traits of fairness and justice...

It seems more likely that someone might interpret something as 'blackmail' when it was actually meant completely literally...

Don't worry Mr Naive, I'm autistic and I don't fully understand all aspects of autism either, because we're all different. I would guess the answer to your question is no, as I wouldn't blackmail anyone and I can't imagine anyone who I know is on the autism spectrum doing this either. Usually autistic people have a great sense of fairness and justice, and most of us have great emotional empathy for others. We do often misunderstand situations though and can be quite naive.

I would suppose that depends on the situation and the person