In early 2022, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Laramie Police Department (LPD) became aware of a widespread online criminal sextortion case involving multiple juvenile victims in Wyoming, including students from Albany County.

Wyoming Law Enforcement became aware of the criminal activity after being contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case involves multiple unknown suspects using several social media accounts such as Snapchat and Instagram to blackmail young female students into sending intimate and sexually explicit images and videos. The suspect(s) utilize a victim’s friends and follow list(s) to find and extort new victims.

Typical behavior exhibited by the suspects includes the following:

• Sending links of other victim’s explicit files to potential victims and telling the potential victims that if they send files the SUSPECT won’t “expose” the prior child victim’s files.
• If the potential victim agrees, the SUSPECT will then begin extorting the new victim.
• The SUSPECT demands videos and images over a multi-day period and claims that if the victim complies the SUSPECT will delete the files. This is NOT true.
• THE SUSPECT forces (under threat of exposure) the child victim to conduct video calls which show the victim’s face, while the SUSPECT keeps his own face hidden. This is done so the SUSPECT can further exploit the child victim.
• The SUSPECT forces (under the threat of exposure) the child victim to provide the victim’s friend list or followers.

Although the suspect(s) remain unidentified, Wyoming DCI and LPD continue to actively investigate this case and work with the FBI in an effort to put a stop to this ongoing exploitation. In the event you or someone you know is contacted by these individuals or you are asked by someone to add an unknown “friend” please beware of the following: The SUSPECT depends on victims feeling ashamed or guilty to continue to exploit them. Remember, it is NOT your fault.

If you or someone you know is a victim, please report it to a trusted adult or Law Enforcement. Regardless of what the SUSPECT says, he will not stop the exploitation regardless of how many images or video a victim sends. In this case, there are well over 150 victims nationwide, you are NOT alone. If you receive a link of another victim’s images, please do NOT view or respond and report it immediately. Do not accept friend requests from people unknown to you and do NOT provide other people’s information.

For additional information or questions, please contact the Laramie Police Department at (307) 721-2526 or Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation at (307) 777-7181with any questions.