Chicago man admits to sextortion of Ohio State student
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Chicago man pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, sextortion and stealing multiple identities, including one instance in which he victimized an Ohio State student.
According to a U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio release, Omoruyi Uwadiae, of Chicago, targeted dozens of victims in multiple states, obtaining sexually explicit content of them, then using it to threaten them.
Uwadiae, 28, admitted in plea documents that he would threaten to distribute the explicit material widely on the internet, specifically to the victim’s friends, family members and employers. He would demand money from the victims, that they meet him to have sex, or make them say damaging statements publicly.
On multiple occasions, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Uwadiae carried out his threats by distributing videos and photos and posting them online. In some cases, the victims had not publicly disclosed their sexual orientation, and Uwadiae’s actions revealed them against their wishes. The defendant also used the victims' identifications to create fake accounts on social media and post personal information about the victims online.
The release stated that Uwadiae targeted young gay men on the app Grindr and other online sites. There, he would obtain sexually explicit material and use it to extort money in exchange for taking down images he posted to Male General, a blog where people can post images on message boards.
Among the victims was a student from Ohio State, who communicated with Uwadiae on Grindr. Uwadiae gave the victim an ultimatum - pay $200 or have sex with him. When the OSU student refused, Uwadiae created a fake social media account, posted real images he obtained from the victim and stated, “this guy is gay, see pics for evidence.”
Uwadiae was charged in the Southern District of Ohio in April by a bill of information. On Wednesday he pleaded guilty to 22 total counts including the following:
- Cyberstalking – eight counts, punishable by up to five years in prison
- Making interstate communications – seven counts, up to two years
- Unlawfully using means of identification – seven counts, up to five years
A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.