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Georgia Man Charged for Cyberstalking, Extortion of MA Woman

By TWIW Staff | April 26, 2021
Last Updated: July 8, 2021

A graduate student at the University of Georgia faces federal charges of cyberstalking and extortion a Massachusetts woman after being arrested on Friday, April 23.

According to court documents, Gary Leach, 23, of Athens, Georgia, falsely promised to pay a Massachusetts woman for private video calls and photographs of a sexual nature starting in October 2019. Leach also recorded the calls without the woman’s knowledge.

Leach eventually threatened to share these recordings with the victim’s family if she didn’t continue to send him content. He used a series of anonymous Instagram accounts to harass and threaten the woman. He also used variations of nicknames for woman as part of usernames on the accounts he used to do so.

Prosecutors say Leach continued this behavior until the present time.

Leach said within his communication with the woman that he had hundreds of videos and thousands of pictures gained in similar ways.

Federal Prosecutors ask that anyone who believes they may be a victim of Leach to visit here.

Leach faces charges of Stalking by Electronic Means, which provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison.

He also faces a charge of Extortion by Interstate Threat of Injury to Reputation, which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison.

 

 

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