Ohio Man Lured Men into Sharing Nude Photos, Then Extorted Them for Money
A man in Ohio, Omoruyi O. Uwadiae, has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for a disturbing online extortion scheme. Uwadiae pleaded guilty to multiple charges including cyberstalking, interstate communications with intent to extort, and unlawful transfer, possession, or use of identification.
According to court records, Uwadiae targeted gay and bisexual men using popular online platforms like Grindr and Snapchat back in 2019. His modus operandi involved soliciting nude photos from his victims and then threatening to expose them unless they paid him money.
In one instance detailed in a criminal complaint, a man Uwadiae met on Grindr was coerced into sending him nude photos and his phone number. Uwadiae then demanded $200 from the man, threatening to publicly share his intimate images, videos, phone number, and name if the payment was not made. When the man refused to comply, Uwadiae proceeded to upload explicit videos of the victim online.
Another disturbing incident involved a 17-year-old juvenile on Snapchat. Uwadiae convinced the minor to send him sexually explicit photos. When the juvenile declined to send money as demanded, Uwadiae resorted to sharing the photos with the minor's family, friends, and classmates. He even went as far as creating a public Facebook page to post a compromising photo of the juvenile engaged in sexual activity.
Uwadiae's manipulative tactics extended to creating fake social media profiles using another man's image, falsely accusing him of being racist. By sharing the man's photo on Grindr with derogatory text, Uwadiae attempted to tarnish the man's reputation and incite negative attention towards him.
Moreover, Uwadiae resorted to threatening individuals with exposure unless they engaged in sexual acts with him or paid him money. This predatory behavior victimized a total of eight people, as per court records.
The severity of Uwadiae's actions led to his sentencing on December 10. Despite attempts to reach out to his attorney for comment, there was no immediate response. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online interactions and the importance of vigilance when engaging with strangers on the internet.
