2 days ago
Charges stayed in sextortion case against Winnipeg man
Prosecutors have stayed charges against a Winnipeg man accused of blackmailing men and boys in several provinces in a so-called 'sextortion' scheme after the alleged victims said they couldn't bring themselves to testify.
Tongun Justin Tongun, who was 21 when he was charged by Winnipeg police with 10 counts of extortion in 2023, was accused of soliciting images from males on the internet, then threatening to post them online unless the victims sent him money.
All 10 counts against Tongun were stayed in May, court records show.
'In preparation for this matter, the Crown contacted a number of victims,' a provincial government spokesman wrote in an email.
'After reviewing the matter and taking into consideration the impact to the victims, their unwillingness to relive the experience by testifying, the Crown determined not to proceed but did seek restitution for all the victims as per their wishes.'
The Winnipeg Police Service began investigating Tongun after a man in his 20s came forward with allegations of extortion in February 2023.
The victim told investigators he had shared intimate photos with someone online who pretended to be a young woman, before the person demanded cash and threatened to release the pictures. The victim transferred the scammer money, police said at the time.
City sex crimes detectives charged Tongun with four counts of extortion that February after locating three more victims in Winnipeg, before later finding another six victims across Canada and filing more charges in June 2023.
Police and cybersafety experts call the scams 'sextortion.'
The scam typically involves a suspect threatening to distribute intimate or sexual images of a victim after they've gained their trust through 'sexually charged' conversations online, typically through social-media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, officials have said.
The suspect will usually demand payment. Victims are often male teenagers or young adults who believe they are communicating with a woman.
Erik PinderaReporter
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
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