NEW YORK (PIX11) – Cameron McEwen, 21, a convicted rapist from Middletown, New York, demanded that minors send him sexually explicit photos through the app Snapchat, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
“At this time [McEwen] has been arrested and charged,” said one law enforcement source familiar with the matter. “The victim that came forward was from Alaska and we have reason to believe there are more victims out there at the time.”
Investigators said McEwen used several aliases: “X,” “Cam,” “dzys.world,” “itsbeendrippy,” “fendii,” and “fendii.kashout” to allegedly meet individuals online, where he offered to pay for sexually explicit content but later used the victim’s information as leverage to obtain more content through blackmail.
According to the complaint that set the arrest in motion, a 16-year-old girl (Victim-1) told investigators she was introduced to “X” by an acquaintance (Victim-2) at the beginning of April.
Victim-2 had told Victim-1 that she had a new boyfriend on Snapchat named “Cam.” She stated that Cam told her that a Snapchat user named “X” had threatened to hack her account and devices if he did not have a female Snapchat user send “X” sexually explicit images, according to the complaint.
Victim-1 then produced and sent “X” multiple sexually-explicit images and videos via Snapchat, but the user wanted more content.
It was to be more content of her or she had to find another female who would also send him images and videos, according to the complaint. “X” also threatened to release her content to her friends and family and hack into her accounts. He also threatened to apply for numerous lines of credit in her name if she did not comply with his demand and threatened the victim if she did not comply.
Victim-1, at the urging of Victim-2, then added “X” to her existing Snapchat account where “X” demanded the same request. Victim-1, in order to satisfy “X,” created another account and sent the convicted rapist multiple videos and photos of herself, according to the criminal complaint. Then “X” demanded that Victim-1 add “Cam” (Her Boyfriend) on Snapchat.
When Victim-1 stated that she did not know why she needed to add “Cam,” “X” stated, that the victim belonged to him until she found a way to get out of his blackmail, per court documents.
To end the nightmare the young girl was experiencing, she went to the police and investigators determined “X” and “Cam” were the same person, according to documents.
In another interview with detectives, Victim-2 said she met an individual on Snapchat with the display name “Cam” who she believed lived in New York. “Cam” had offered to pay her if she produced and sent him nude photos and videos, according to the complaint. “Cam” told the victim she would need to meet “X” in order to set up a bank account to transmit the money. The victim provided “X” with her social security number and full name to set up the bank account, per the complaint.
After “X” obtained Victim-2’s personal information, he threatened to hack into Victim-2’s phone and put her in debt if she did not send “X” sexually explicit content. McEwen, using different Snapchat accounts, allegedly ordered the victim to also send a Snapchat user “Fendii” explicit content, court documents show.
Law enforcement later connected this account with “fendii . kashout,” another account believed to belong to McEwen. Officers were able to link the accounts to McEwen as his IP address was traced to his address in New York.
A search warrant was issued for McEwen’s address, where multiple cellphones were found on his property, officials said. McEwen confessed to being the sole user of the Snapchat accounts, according to the criminal complaint.
“McEwen was on probation following a previous conviction for rape when he allegedly continued to commit sexually abusive and vile crimes,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them.”
McEwen was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of making extortionate interstate communications. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on the first charge and up to a two-year sentence on the second charge.
McEwen was previously convicted of rape in the second degree in Orange County for engaging in a sexual relationship with a person less than 15 years old, per the new criminal complaint.
If you or someone you know may have had contact with McEwen the FBI is asking anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov and reference this case.
