Editor Victoria’s comment ~ Ok I have some questions on this one. One being does this have to do with the press conference that took place in SC today regarding our prison system? Two ~ what were these 15 individuals in prison for. Were they victims of the system looking for some retribution of a very corrupt system? Three ~ these military personnel should have known better than to engage in such activity. Who were these service personnel? Innocent in their activities? White hats or part of the black hat military operation… What I am saying is this truly a situation of extortion or is there more to the story?
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COLUMBIA, SC (WCSC/WIS) – Federal, state and military authorities say contraband cellphones are at the center of a “sextortion” scheme organized by inmates within South Carolina prisons against U.S. military service members.
U.S. District Attorney Sherri Lydon announced indictments of 15 people Wednesday resulting from a two-year investigation called “Operation: Surprise Party.”
Investigators allege the 15 people inside and outside the Department of Corrections used the cellphones to extort money from more than 400 service members through online dating websites and posed as young women, investigators say.
“After meeting the military servicemen on the website, the allegation is that the inmate would then send them nude pictures of young women, the pictures they had obtained through the internet,” Lydon said.
According to the indictment, the inmate would then ask for nude pictures in return.
“Later, after the exchange of the pictures, the inmate would call the serviceman, claiming to be the father of the young woman,” Lydon said.
Investigators say the inmate would demand money in exchange for not reporting the officers to authorities for having nude photos of an “underage” woman. Military members would pay money out of fear they would lose their careers over possessing what they were led to believe was child pornography, investigators say.
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