A 28-year-old man who allegedly owned and operated a revenge porn website was arrested Thursday in Tulsa, Okla., officials announced Friday.
Casey E. Meyering allegedly facilitated the posting of more than 400 sexually explicit photos of Californians. He would then allegedly extort the victims for as much as $250 to have a photo removed.
Calfornia Attorney General Kamala Harris is seeking a Governor’s warrant for Meyering’s extradition to California. Meyering faces five felony counts of extortion.
"This behavior is the very definition of predatory and this website made a game out of humiliating victims for profit," Harris said in a statement. "These actions at their core are about one individual exploiting the privacy and trust of others for financial gain. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who participate in these deplorable and illegal activities."
According to court documents, Meyering operated the website WinByState.com, a site where anonymous users post nude and explicit photos of individuals without their consent. The investigation into the site began when a Northern California hacking victim discovered photos of herself on the site, according to court documents.
Investigators paid to have the photo removed, and later traced the funds to Meyering’s bank account in Tulsa. The Attorney General’s office is working with GoDaddy.com to suspend the website.
A 27-year-old San Diego man was arrested in December in connection with the revenge porn website ugotposted.com. He was charged with 31 felony counts of conspiracy, identity theft and extortion and is currently awaiting trial.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of WinByState.com or any other revenge porn website should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office here.
