TC Islander Gets 20 Years in Sextortion Case

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ST. LOUIS – Alexander Gardiner, 25, a citizen of both the US and Turks and Caicos, will spend the next 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercing a 15-year-old Missouri boy into sending him sexually explicit images. Judge Joshua Divine handed down the 240-month sentence Thursday, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Gardiner initially connected with the victim on Snapchat. When the teen sent the requested images, hoping to end the contact, Gardiner allegedly turned up the heat. He bombarded the boy with harassing messages across multiple platforms – iMessage, Facebook, and WhatsApp – threatening to share the photos with his family and friends unless he produced more exploitative material.

Investigators found Gardiner wasn’t stopping at one victim. He confessed to possessing videos of other teenage boys obtained via Snapchat, and to directing a 14-year-old to create CSAM back in 2021 while posing as a female online. The creep even publicly shared this material on Twitter and within a Telegram group notorious for targeting minors.

Authorities are now asking anyone who believes they may have been targeted by Gardiner – under usernames including “noahmonn” and “jewelsbaits” – to come forward. The FBI is actively investigating and encourages potential victims to contact their local field office or report online at tips.fbi.gov or cybertipline.org.

Resources for sextortion victims, including guides for both victims and adults, are available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at missingkids.org.