Police arrested a Tampa man for illegally recording a person during sex, then posting nude pictures and videos of the victim online.
A search warrant states Colin Speer engaged in disturbing threats and harassment tactics from several fake Facebook accounts and anonymous text messages.
Investigators say, over the span of about six months, Speer used phony profiles to harass and try to extort money from a victim he secretly recorded during sex.
"People posting imagery of others without their consent is an increasing problem," said USF Associate Professor Nathan Fisk.
Fisk teaches classes on internet safety and cyber crime protection at the University of South Florida.
He says in this case, Speer used nude pictures to as leverage against the victim.
"It's incredibly despicable to do something in that nature and then to release that online as part of a deliberate attack on someone," said Fisk.
Police say Speer submitted nude pictures and a video of the victim on 4chan, an image-based online bulletin board.
Speer also included the victim's name and work place information on the online posts.
"That is used by others to then join on this dog pile of harassment," said Fisk.
Tampa investigators say Speer created four fake Facebook accounts to contact the victim and offer to remove the content, but only for a substantial fee.
Police charged Speer with video voyeurism, extortion, stalking, and sexual cyberharassment.
Sexual cyber harassment is the charge based on Florida's "revenge porn" law, enacted just two years ago.
It criminalizes the posting of sexual content on a public space without consent of the subject, even if the pictures or videos were taken with consent.
"It's one of those tactics that people can use with relatively little technical ability simply to embarrass others and create problems in their lives," said Fisk.
Tampa Police, working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, seized several electronic items from Speer's Tampa apartment during the course of the investigation.
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