Blackmail warning

Norfolk County OPP are investigating the extortion of a local man, who says he sent explicit pictures of himself to someone he’d been chatting with online and then got demands for money. Police say they have heard complaints like this before.

Constable Ed Sanchuk says the call came into police shortly before four in the morning on Friday from an upset adult man.

“This male met a female online, decided to strike up a conversation, they shared some intimate details, the female at the other end then asked the male for some explicit photos.”

The man sent the requested photos, but Sanchuk says we really don’t know who he was speaking to.  “After those photos were sent to her, he received another message that if he didn’t send money, they would release the photos to all his contacts.”

Instead, the victim called police but he remains concerned that his intimate images will be shared with unintended recipients. Sanchuk says the alarm bells should go off at a request like that, especially in the middle of the night from a stranger.

OPP say you should think twice about sending explicit photos even if you know the person, even if you’re married to the person. Sometimes relationships end and those photos are used to cause trouble.