Munich/Bamberg (dpa/lby) - As a member of an international gang, a 24-year-old is said to have tried to blackmail men by publishing nude photos. This was successful in 24 cases, the attempt failed in 9, said the Bamberg-based central office Cybercrime Bayern on Tuesday. The charge of commercial and gang extortion is currently with the Munich district court, which has to decide on the admission. The law provides for a prison sentence of 1 to 15 years for each individual case. The gang is said to have caused damage of at least 295,000 euros across Europe with the scam.
The accused from Ivory Coast last worked as a security guard in Munich. He is said to have been responsible for receiving and forwarding the extorted money. The scam is called "sextortion" (from extortion - blackmail) or also "sexpressung".
The victims are said to have been written to by women belonging to the gang via dating portals or social networks. In later video chats, the women undressed and demanded the same from the men, who also performed sexual acts on themselves. According to investigators, the victims were filmed.
With these recordings, the suspects are said to have blackmailed the victims from home and abroad for money. Part of the gang is said to have operated from Ivory Coast, the defendant's home country.
The 24-year-old was arrested in early March and has been in custody ever since. Almost 70,000 euros are said to have flowed into his accounts alone.
