The Halton Police has arrested and charged a Brampton resident following an online extortion investigation.
In November 2020, the Halton Regional Police Service began the investigation after a victim reported being contacted over social media on multiple occasions by an unknown person. The person reportedly asked the victim to send a nude image in exchange for money.
The victim sent an image, and the suspect began to extort the victim for additional images, money and passwords to her social media accounts, by threatening to distribute the images to her family and friends.
On Thursday, February 4th, a criminal code search warrant was executed at a residence on Agricola Road in Brampton.
A 20-year old Brampton man was arrested and charged with the following:
- Extortion
- Mischief to Computer Data
This is the second reported online extortion arrest by the Halton Police this week.
Police want to remind the public of the following:
- All images shared over the internet can be saved without your knowledge.
- Never send images to unknown persons over the internet.
- Increase all privacy and security settings to all of your social media accounts.
- For additional internet safety tips, please visit https://www.cybertip.ca/app/en/
Anyone with information in regards to any of these occurrences is asked to contact Acting Detective Stephane Verreault of the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2260.
Tips can also be submitted 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.
