Former College Track and Field Coach Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sextortion Scheme
A former college track and field coach, Steve Waithe, has been sentenced to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release after he was found guilty of tricking hundreds of women into sending him naked photos of themselves.
Waithe ran a scheme in which he obtained “thousands” of explicit photos from “over 100 women” through fake email and social media accounts. The Department of Justice revealed that while coaching at Northeastern University, Waithe would request the cell phones of female student-athletes under the pretense of filming their form at practices and meets, only to covertly send himself explicit photos that had been saved on their phones.
Even after leaving Northeastern, Waithe continued his predatory behavior by operating over 20 sham accounts and creating fake personas to reach out to women under the guise of a fake study for athletes. He would request photos to “track their progress” and recommended that the photos show as much skin as possible.
“This defendant’s conduct is deplorable. He exploited his trusted role as a coach to college athletes to engage in a sextortion campaign that has left a trail of emotional devastation in its wake,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
Waithe pleaded guilty to multiple charges including wire fraud, cyberstalking, and conspiracy to commit computer fraud. He also coached at several other universities including Penn State, Illinois Institute of Technology, Tennessee, and Concordia University Chicago.
The FBI emphasized the seriousness of cyberstalking and sextortion, stating that these are not just sick games but serious crimes. They will continue to unmask and hold accountable anyone who uses technology in such a vile manner.
The sentencing of Waithe serves as a warning to others who may engage in similar predatory behavior online. The victims of his scheme have shown courage in coming forward, and justice has been served in this case.
