Cliff Stanford is a well-known figure in the internet industry. He founded Demon Internet in 1992 and sold it in 1998 to Scottish Telecom for £66 million (Scottish Telecom subsequently re-branded as Thus), netting Stanford around £30 million.
In the same week as the sale, Stanford launched the Redbus Group which later funded his launch of Redbus Interactive, a colocation and data services company.
According to reports, allegations surfaced in October last year that Stanford had been involved in hacking the e-mail system of Redbus. He and another man, George Nelson Liddell, were questioned by police over the interception of e-mails between Redbus' former chairman John Porter, and Porter's mother, Dame Shirley Porter.
Both men have now been charged with blackmail and unlawful interception of communications under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) of 2000 and are due to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court on 2nd March.