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Toon fan duped by cyber 'porn star'

Aug 8 2010 by Kerry Wood, Sunday Sun

A TOON fan, who suffers from epilepsy, was swindled out of more than £1,000 after meeting an internet temptress who duped him with an online love scam.

Martin Spence sacrificed cash saved for his Newcastle United season ticket in the hope of bringing his new love to his Wallsend home.

But now the dejected 34-year-old is facing up to the fact his fantasy woman was a ruse that left him more than £1,000 out of pocket.

Reeling from the revelation the woman he’d planned his future with isn’t real, Martin said: “I feel like I’ve lost everything. I have low confidence but she used to keep me going.

“I really liked her and thought she liked me just for me.

“I fell for her and trusted what she said. I didn’t doubt for a minute that she wasn’t real.”

Martin first met the woman, who claimed to be an ex-porn star in America with the name Melissa Sears, through a dating advertisement on social networking site Facebook in March.

With no sign up fee Martin, who is unemployed, thought he had nothing to lose and after exchanging messages and saucy images the pair made telephone contact.

Melissa claimed she’d been born in London to an Italian father and American mother.

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