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A teenager used as "bait" to lure a man who died by suicide hours after he was blackmailed by a group of males who targeted men on a gay hook-up app and threatened to out them as paedophiles will spend four months in detention. The boy, now 17, was the fifth person to plead guilty after police this year cracked a syndicate for vowing to publicly "out" men, who they trapped through apps including Grindr, as child molesters if they didn't hand over mobile phones or cash. He had been driven by greed when he asked the scam's teen "ringleader" to get involved, the ACT Childrens' Court was told on Monday. "You should let me get in on one before I leave if you don't mind. It seems like fun and easy money," he said in a message. The boy was among offenders who ensnared the man through social media and arranged a meeting at Mawson shops the night of January 20. When the man arrived, the boys showed him a dossier compiled on him and said they would publish messages and expose him as a paedophile before they fled with his mobile phone and $400. Not satisfied with that haul, he was among several boys who later showed up at the man's house to put further pressure on him before they were scared away by his brother. The victim was found dead the next afternoon. Police arrested the offender after they found the victim's phone in the boy's bedroom in April this year. He admitted to blackmail and unlawful possession of stolen property. In a victim impact statement, the man's mother again spoke of her overwhelming horror and said the unbearable pain she felt had not diminished in the months since her son's death. "My beautiful, kind, gentle and loving son was snatched away from life. "I often think of his last moments. He must have been so distraught and in such fear." She described her son as "a beautiful drag queen" and cosplay dresser and she had been "so proud" of his performances and achievements. She now surrounded herself with her son's costumes as a way of remembering him. Debate over same sex marriage reminded her of her son and had exposed pockets of hatred in the community, she said, prompting her to question why people couldn't tolerate one another's differences regardless of gender preferences. The boy's defence lawyer Rachel Bird said the boy could not have predicted someone targeted by the group would lose their life had been "racked with guilt" over the man's death. "He's devastated that a son was lost." Prosecutor Sara Gul said the offender was the group member who had the most contact with man who suicided. "He was, effectively, the bait. "His involvement was direct, it was deep. He was the one who made the initial threat to publish the messages." Ms Gul said suggestions the boy did not feel empathy at the time of his offending because he'd taken drugs and alcohol that day were "not persuasive". "This was sophisticated offending, it escalated over a number of days. It was planned and premeditated." Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker acknowledged the boy had expressed remorse but said he lacked insight, noting he'd suggested his actions were somewhat justified because he wrongly believed the gay men lured had been paedophiles. "They are entirely different things," she said, emphatically. "They are entirely different." Ms Walker said the boy's role as the "bait" in the deception was "significant". "You were not a ringleader ... but you were a willing and active participant who sought to be involved. "Your enthusiasm to be involved is concerning." She sentenced him to nine months imprisonment, with four months to be spent in full-time custody. The remaining five months would be suspended upon entering a 12-month good behaviour order. The boy bowed his head and his mother shed tears as his sentence was handed down. He will be released in December. If you or someone you know needs help, contact beyondblue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 44 or Kid's HelpLine on 1800 55 1800.