Suspected sextortionist hiding behind Tor is outed by booby-trapped video

Enlarge (credit: Al Ibrahim)

The FBI used a booby-trapped video to identify a California man who allegedly used the Tor network to anonymously extort sexually explicit material from minors online.

Buster Hernandez, 26, of Bakersfield, California, allegedly ran his sextortion campaign since at least 2012. It came to the attention of the FBI in late 2015 when the suspect allegedly used Facebook to contact a girl in Indiana. Using the moniker Brian Kil, FBI officials said, Hernandez claimed he had obtained "dirty pics" the unidentified minor had previously sent to a boyfriend. Hernandez then allegedly threatened to publish the images unless the girl sent additional sexually explicit photos.

Hernandez eventually posted multiple images to the Brian Kil Facebook account, according to an affidavit FBI agents filed in court. The images were allegedly accompanied by messages threatening to visit the girl's school and kill her and her friends using homemade pipe bombs and firearms in his possession.

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