World Courant
A Texas man is accused of stealing nude photographs and movies on-line of greater than a thousand victims, together with minors, in accordance with the FBI and a federal grievance.
Federal officers this week charged Andrew Venegas, 23, with baby sexual exploitation after he allegedly blackmailed girls and women into sending him extra express content material beneath threats that he would publicly share their nudes beginning in 2022.
The FBI believes Venegas hid behind a faux account known as “Starkylol”, utilizing a lady’s photograph as his profile image to coerce and “extort” girls in america.
Throughout their investigation, federal authorities had Venegas ship express photographs on to them.
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Federal officers this week charged Andrew Venegas, 23, with baby sexual exploitation. (FBI)
“He marketed his content material on-line to different people, together with particularly providing content material depicting minors beneath the age of 18,” the grievance towards Venegas states.
A few of the victims Venegas allegedly stole nude photographs from got here from accounts he didn’t have permission to make use of. In different phrases, Venegas is accused of hacking some victims’ accounts to entry their nude photographs.
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He then threatened victims to ship extra express photographs, which he shared on Telegram – an encrypted messaging app – and offered to patrons on-line. He marketed sure photographs as particularly depicting women beneath the age of 18.
Andrew Venegas would threaten his victims to ship extra express photographs, which he would share on Telegram. (FBI)
Whereas investigating an internet site that posts sexually express photographs of ladies in numerous levels of undress, officers discovered that “Televicts throughout the nation have reported that their photographs or movies have been posted to TARGET DOMAIN A with out their consent. “
“Some victims particularly reported that they believed the photographs/movies had been taken from their Snapchat account with out their consent,” the grievance reads.
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A message from a quantity related to Venegas to a sufferer learn: “I am now in your Snapchat account and might publish something or ship to your mates each time I need, altering your Snapchat password will not do something (sic ). Would you like me to share all this on the darkish internet and with your mates? Would you like me to maintain it a secret?”
Andrew Venegas is accused of hacking into the accounts of a few of his victims to entry their nude photographs. (FBI)
A number of victims discovered that their photographs or movies had been posted on-line “after people contacted them and threatened to share the photographs/movies with buddies or household if they didn’t present extra express photographs and movies,” the FBI mentioned. This apply is named “sextortion,” which the FBI describes as “a critical crime that happens when somebody threatens to distribute your private and delicate materials when you do not present them with photographs of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or cash.”
Regulation enforcement officers recognized a number of victims who seem like minors within the express photographs shared.
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In messages to a toddler sufferer, a track related to Venegas wrote, “So if you don’t need something shared, simply ship these final 2 (express photographs) and I can go away you alone after that.”
A number of victims discovered that their photographs or movies had been posted on-line “after people contacted them and threatened to share the photographs/movies with buddies or household if they didn’t present extra express photographs and movies,” the FBI mentioned. (FBI)
The FBI additionally analyzed one other web site with an identical area to the primary web site to publish sexually express photographs of ladies. Officers ultimately decided that “greater than 1,000 completely different females had their photographs posted on the (second) web site, typically accompanied by their actual names.”
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The FBI recognized a minor depicted in an express video on Venegas’ Telegram account and decided that the sufferer was “extorted by VENEGAS to commit the sexual acts proven within the video.”
Officers ultimately decided that “greater than 1,000 completely different females had their photographs posted on the (second) web site, typically accompanied by their actual names.” (FBI)
The “Starkylol” Telegram account additionally featured posts boasting about how “straightforward” it was for the suspect to acquire nude photographs from victims.
“She in all probability did not anticipate to be posted right here,” one message learn.
“Straightforward to function,” mentioned one other publish.
The “Starkylol” Telegram account additionally featured posts boasting about how “straightforward” it was for the suspect to acquire nude photographs from victims. (FBI)
Investigators ultimately reached out to the “Starkylol” account on Telegram to coordinate a sale with the suspect.
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Regulation enforcement officers, utilizing cryptocurrency (bitcoin), bought the bundle purporting to include ‘all college students, blackmail, and beneath 18’ and, whereas within the Japanese District of Virginia, carried out a partial obtain earlier than Starkylol canceled the obtain, claiming that the UC had taken too lengthy to obtain the fabric,” the grievance states. “Regulation enforcement was capable of get hold of some photographs of Starkylol that have been offered in file folders presumably with the names of the females depicted.”
Investigators ultimately reached out to the “Starkylol” account on Telegram to coordinate a sale with the suspect. (FBI)
The FBI contacted “Starkylol” and used a complete of three faux accounts to make purchases.
Investigators have been additionally capable of hint a sufferer’s fee to Starkylol — in an try and have her nude photographs faraway from its web site — to a cryptocurrency account in Venegas’ identify.
World Courant
Whereas executing a warrant at Venegas’ residence, an FBI agent despatched “two messages from an undercover Telegram account to Starkylol’s account”, each of which “displayed on VENEGAS’s cellphone”.
Venegas is because of seem in court docket on Friday at 10 a.m
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox Information Digital and FOX Enterprise. E-mail tricks to [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.
Texas man stole 1000’s of nude photographs of faculty, underage women, extorted them for extra: FBI
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