Man pleads guilty to using explicit selfies to extort, cyberstalk Grindr victims

A Chicago man on Wednesday pleaded guilty in an Ohio federal courtroom to extorting money and sex from men he met through social media and Grindr, the popular gay dating and hookup app.

Omoruyi Uwadiae, 28, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus to 22 counts including cyberstalking, interstate communications with the intent to extort, and unlawfully using a means of identification, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Uwadiae targeted at least eight men in multiple states on Grindr and social media in 2019, according to court records. The men consensually provided Uwadiae with sexually explicit photographs and videos, which he used to extort cash payments or sex. If a victim refused to comply with his demands, he threatened to reveal the imagery to the man’s family, friends, and coworkers directly or via public exposure online. For victims unable or unwilling to pay, Uwadiae reportedly demanded they make false incriminating statements to ensure their silence.

When one victim, a student at Ohio State University, rebuffed his demands for $200 or sex, Uwadiae created fake social media profiles where he posted the young man’s pics with the caption, “this guy is gay, see pics for evidence,” local CBS affiliate WBNS reported. In court documents, the student said Uwadiae knew he was not out to his family and feared their reaction, but outed him anyway.

In other instances, Uwadiae posted photos of the victims to Male General, a blog popular with young gay men.

Uwadiae will be sentenced at a later date, facing well over 50 years in prison if convicted on all counts and the sentences are served consecutively.