http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/sugar-daddy-extortion-578452
An online relationship that began on a “sugar daddy” web site ended in a series of extortionate demands by a Florida woman who
threatened to distribute nude photos sent to her
by the 56-year-old male victim, according to investigators.
Stephanie Starling, 26, was arrested Monday in connection with her
alleged shakedown of a married Las Vegas businessman identified in court
records by his initials, “H.T.”
As detailed in a felony extortion complaint, Starling, seen at right,
met “H.T.” on sugardaddyforme.com, a “dating” web site that matches
women in need of money and men with said money. “H.T.” told FBI agents
that he joined the site (which charges up to $53.85 a month) in mid-2012
and “began an online relationship” with Starling in September or
October.
Starling, “H.T.” recalled, claimed to be a 21-year-old college
student from Jacksonville. The photos she first shared with “H.T”
actually depicted a blonde model who appeared in porno films. Starling
is pictured above in an photo from her Facebook page.
During their initial communications, “H.T.” voluntarily agreed to
send Starling $7000 to cover “various school and living expenses.” The
pair also exchanged “several revealing and nude photographs of each
other.” But while “H.T” sent Starling explicit photos of himself, she
sent naked images of another woman she found online.
Starling claimed she signed up to sugardaddyforme.com because she was
“struggling to pay bills and feed” her young son. Starling, who said
that “H.T.” “told me he wanted to have me as his side girlfriend,” told
agents that she had relationships with “approximately five or six men”
she met via the web site.
In late-November, after “H.T.” declined to send Starling any
additional funds, she began threatening to send his naked photos to his
family, employer, and various social networking
sites.
“H.T.” wired Starling an additional $1200 via Western Union after she
assured him, “You have my word you’ll never hear from me again.”
That pledge lasted about three weeks. In a series of
escalating threats,
Starling warned “H.T.” that if he did not sent more money, “I’m
messaging your wife.” Referring to money being sent to her, Starling
texted, “I better have a tracking number by 6pm my time or I’m making
you famous.”
In subsequent messages, Starling threatened to harm “H.T.” and his
family. “I’m gonna come to Vegas,” she wrote, adding, “I will never
fucking stop until I get my money or you die.” In one February 23 text
to “H.T.,” Starling reported, “Stalking your Twitter now.” As seen on
Starling’s Twitter page, she sent “H.T.” two messages that day: “found
you” and “you should answer me back.”
After "H.T." contacted the FBI, agents opened an investigation in
early-February. Investigators traced the extortion demands to Starling’s
Jacksonville home, which they searched Monday. During the raid,
Starling spoke with FBI agents and admitted sending “H.T.” threatening
communications. “I will never do that again,” she said. “I know what I
was doing was wrong.”
In a four-page
handwritten confession,
Starling said she was “in college aspiring to become a dentist” and was
“sorry for the stress and pain I caused him.” She added, “I want to be
able to go home to my son tonight.”
Starling, who was jailed following her arrest Monday, was scheduled
today for a detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville. If
convicted of the extortion rap, she faces a maximum of 20 years in
prison.
A 14-year-old boy in Illinois got the opposite of lucky when a prostitute, with whom he arranged a date while his parents were out, instead made off with his piggy bank, reported ABC News.
