Police have alleged that the man, described as a 38-year-old boat builder and father of two from the Gold Coast in tropical Queensland state, blackmailed McDermott for tens of thousands of dollars, Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) radio said.

He appeared in a Gold Coast court on eight charges of extortion, which police allege occurred between December 2005 and this month.

He was caught collecting some of the extorted money during a covert police operation, the ABC said. The man was released on bail until his next court appearance in December.