At least two Penn State student-athletes became ensnared in a sexual extortion scam after they were targeted by a female suspect on an online dating app.
According to WJAC-TV, warrants were recently unsealed that show how the woman allegedly traded sexually explicit photo with the student-athletes and then threatened to post them on social media unless more images were sent. Images obtained by police depict photos and videos of the student-athletes undressed and engaged in group sex.
The student-athletes reported the matter to the athletic department in late September of 2021.
Centre County district attorney Bernie Cantorna told media outlets that his office is no longer a state of investigation into the matter, that the case has been closed, and the victims do not wish to press charges. However, the federal investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
Penn State University officials issued this statement to media outlets:
“University Police and Public Safety were alerted to a sexual extortion crime targeting Penn State student-athletes in September 2021, and have been investigating the matter since then, using forensics in an attempt to identify both victims and suspects,”
“In this case, individuals were drawn into an online conversation that escalated into extortion. Sexual extortion crimes in which individuals are coerced into sharing intimate images or videos are a national issue and similar incidents have victimized people in other places in the U.S."