Man Pleads Guilty in Sextortion Scheme Exploiting Gay Men
Omoruyi Uwadiae would solicit videos and pictures using Grindr and Snapchat and threaten to make them public unless victims paid him.
A Columbus man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after pleading guilty to an elaborate sextortion scheme in which he’d catfish gay men in multiple states — including a minor — and blackmailed them by threatening to publicize explicit photos of them engaged in sexual acts.
On December 19, U.S. District Judge Michael Watson of the Southern District of Ohio sentenced Omoruyi Uwadiae to 51 months in prison after the 28-year-old pleaded guilty to eight charges of cyberstalking.
Watson also sentenced Uwadiae to 24 months in prison for pleading guilty to seven counts of “making interstate communications with the intent to extort,” or sextortion, and to 51 months for pleading guilty to seven counts of “unlawfully using a means of identification,” a form of identity theft.
The sentences will run concurrently. He is also being fined $9,700, including a $2,200 special assessment.
Uwadiae targeted at least eight gay and bisexual men in Ohio, Colorado, and Washington State. Given the nature of the crimes, prosecutors say it’s possible the number of victims may be even higher.
According to plea documents, Uwadiae admitted to obtaining sexually explicit photographs and videos from potential victims engaged in sexual acts solicited through conversations on various apps, including Grindr and Snapchat. After obtaining those images, he threatened to distribute the explicit material on the internet, specifically to victims’ friends, family members, and employers.
In some cases, Uwadiae would demand money. In others, he demanded that they meet him in person, have sex with him, or make damaging admissions, such as saying they were racist.
Not all of the victims had disclosed their sexual orientation, meaning that Uwadiae’s actions “outed” them against their will, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Uwadiae allegedly used victims’ identifications to create fake accounts on social media platforms, where he then posted personal information or explicit photos and videos implicating his victims. For instance, in some cases, he would post nude images on Male General — a blog marketed to gay men with online bulletin boards where users can post images and text — when his victims refused to agree to his demands.
In one instance, Uwadiae solicited explicit material from a student at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He then demanded the student either pay him $200 or have sex with him. When the victim did not comply, Uwadiae created fake social media accounts using the victim’s photos and personal information, writing, “this guy is gay, see pics for evidence.”
The victim, who was not “out,” told Uwadiae that he was concerned his family would react negatively if they learned he was bisexual, according to federal prosecutors.
In another sextortion scheme, in April 2019, Uwadiae began corresponding with a 17-year-old on Snapchat. (The minor claimed to be 18 years old at the time.) Uwadiae allegedly obtained sexually explicit photos of the youth and demanded that he pay him not to release the images.
After the boy admitted to being a minor and refused to pay him, Uwadiae nonetheless continued his blackmail campaign, sending photos to the boy’s mother and other family members, friends, and classmates. He also created a public Facebook page, where he posted a photo of the youth engaging in sex, reports Columbus ABC affiliate WSYX.
Uwadiae engaged another young man on Grindr and Instagram, accusing him of being racist and creating fake social media profiles using the man’s image. He also posted the victim’s photo on Grindr, repeating the same accusation, according to court records.
In April 2024, Uwadiae was charged in the Southern District of Ohio, ultimately pleading guilty to 22 charges of cyberstalking, sextortion, and identity theft.
Uwadiae will be placed in a facility close to Columbus, Ohio. While incarcerated, he will be expected to work, with a portion of his pay going towards his fine.
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