Two Arrested in Miami for Alleged Extortion of Social Media Star

July 29, 2016

Two South Florida residents have been arrested after police claim they threatened to leak sexually explicit images of social media star “YesJulz” unless she paid them.

A 28-year-old and a 33-year-old were arrested Friday on extortion charges.

Miami Beach police believe the two contacted “YesJulz” and claimed to have X-rated photos of her.

They allegedly gave her 24 hours to pay them $18,000, threatening to publish the pictures online if she didn’t.

The two were arrested as they were waiting in a car on Miami Beach.

Police say one of the men arrested has admitted to the crime.The other denies any involvement.

The New York Times recently named “YesJulz” the “Queen of SnapChat,” where she has more than 300,000 viewers.

Extortion is defined as the use of non-physical force to persuade another person to do something for you. With the growth of the Internet and social media, this type of crime has taken on entirely new form, which has been labeled sextortion. Similar to extortion, sextortion is the use of sexual exploitation to make another person do something for you or give you something, like money.  

Sextortion is committed when someone uses guilt, power or damaging information about another person in an attempt to force that person to do something they do not want to do. This frequently occurs on social media networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you are being accused of extortion, sextortion, or a similar crime, it is important that you understand exactly what charges you are up against and what to expect. Our South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you understand these charges and how best to defeat them. Call us today at 561-367-8777 or contact us online for a free consultation.