BENTONVILLE -- A Pennsylvania man is accused of attempting to extort a woman to send him nude photographs of herself, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed Wednesday.
Victor Aniades, 29, of Old Zionsville, Pa., surrendered Tuesday and was arrested in a sexual-extortion case. Prosecutors haven't filed a formal charge against him.
He was released from custody after posting a $30,000 bond.
Bentonville police started investigating in June 2020. A woman reported someone had a nude photograph of her and threatened to disseminate it if she didn't send more, according to the affidavit.
The woman told police that she sent the photograph to a person she knew as a photographer she had spoken with about modeling, the affidavit states. Before sending the photograph, the victim said she spoke to the photographer on a video chat and the female photographer sent a nude photograph of herself to the victim, according to the affidavit.
The photographer stopped replying to the victim after the victim asked how someone got her nude photograph, according to the affidavit.
Police obtained warrants for social media accounts and were able to connect Aniades to the accounts, according to the affidavit.
Anthony Reppert, an investigator with the Pennsylvania State police, found previous complaints of sexual extortion associated with Aniades, but they weren't prosecuted, according to the affidavit.
Police spoke with more women who reported their nude photographs were used in an attempt to get more nude photographs, according to the affidavit.
Aniades had his attorney with him when he was interviewed by Reppert, according to the affidavit. Aniades admitted he created the Facebook profile and pretended to be the photographer and then used accounts to upload the Bentonville woman's photographs.
Aniades admitted using social media accounts to contact women, according to the affidavit.
Police were able to extract data from one of Aniades' cellphones and a detective found nude photographs of the woman Aniades used to make the Bentonville victim believe she was speaking with a woman, according to the affidavit.
Aniades' arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 4 in Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green's court.