A 25-year-old Alberta man has been arrested following an eight-month long investigation into online extortion.
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) says they first received information on the case back in December of 2022. A suspect was reportedly using various social media platforms to coerce a victim (an adult male) into sending money. The suspect obtained intimate images of the victim and then threatened to distribute the images online if payment was not made.
On Wednesday, August 16th, with the assistance of investigators with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Drumheller detachment, Brandon Bulechowsky of Drumheller, Alberta was arrested. He has been charged with:
- Extortion
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
- Fail to Comply with Probation
Bulechowsky was released on an Undertaking.
Investigators believe there may be additional victims pertaining to Bulechowsky and are asking anyone with information or may have been victimized by him to contact the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2216.
The following social media profile handles were used by Bulechowsky:
- Snapchat: Emily_jauntyy07
- Instagram: Emily_jauntyy
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
The HRPS would like to remind residents that sextortion is a form of blackmail and can happen to anyone. If you are a victim of sextortion, we are here to help you. Report sextortion to the Halton Regional Police Service by calling our non-emergency number at 905-825-4777.
Additional online safety tips can be found here.
