Columbus, Ohio – Omoruyi O. Uwadiae, 28, of Chicago, has pleaded guilty to a string of cyberstalking and sextortion crimes that left dozens of victims across multiple states reeling.
According to court documents, Uwadiae’s scheme involved obtaining sexually explicit photographs and videos from potential victims, which he then used to threaten them. He demanded money, sex, and damaging admissions from his victims, and carried through with his threats on multiple occasions.
Uwadiae’s targets were predominantly young gay men who he met on Grindr and other online sites. He would obtain their explicit content consensually and then use it to extort them. In some cases, he posted their nude images on Male General, a blog marketed to gay men, without their consent.
One victim, a student at The Ohio State University, was coerced by Uwadiae into either paying him $200 or having sex with him. When the victim refused, Uwadiae created false social media accounts using the victim’s true photos, claiming they were evidence of the victim’s sexual orientation.
The FBI and Columbus Division of Police investigated the case, which was brought to the Southern District of Ohio in April through a bill of information. Uwadiae pleaded guilty to 22 counts, including eight counts of cyberstalking, seven counts of making interstate communications with the intent to extort, and seven counts of unlawfully using a means of identification.
Uwadiae faces up to five years in prison for each of the eight cyberstalking counts, as well as up to two years for each of the seven extortion counts and up to five years for each of the seven identity theft counts. The maximum statutory sentences will be determined by the court at a future hearing.
The guilty plea was announced by Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, in a statement released today. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Heather A. Hill will represent the United States in the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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