Omoruyi O. Uwadiae, a 29-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio, has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for cyberstalking and extortion activities targeting gay and bisexual men across several states. The sentencing took place in a federal court where it was revealed that Uwadiae's crimes spanned multiple states including Ohio, Colorado, and Washington.
In 2019, Uwadiae engaged in illegal activities by obtaining sexually explicit content from his victims through dating apps like Grindr. He used this material to threaten them with exposure unless they complied with his demands for money or other favors. "Uwadiae threatened to distribute the explicit material widely on the internet and specifically to victims’ friends, family members, employers and others," according to court documents.
His actions led to significant distress among his victims as many had not publicly disclosed their sexual orientation. In some instances, he created false social media accounts using their identities and posted explicit images online without consent.
One victim was a student at The Ohio State University who faced demands from Uwadiae for $200 or sexual favors. When the victim did not comply, Uwadiae publicized the victim's sexual orientation online despite knowing it had not been disclosed to the victim’s family.
Another case involved a minor who initially misrepresented his age as 18 but was actually 17 years old when communicating with Uwadiae. Despite being informed of the minor's true age by family members, Uwadiae continued distributing explicit images of him.
The legal proceedings against Uwadiae began in April when he was charged in the Southern District of Ohio. He pleaded guilty in May to 22 counts including cyberstalking and making interstate communications with intent to extort.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio announced the sentence delivered by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate along with Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill represented the United States in this case which was investigated by the FBI.